Bulgarian Customs Destroy Counterfeit L&M Cigarettes

On July 21, 2011, the Bulgarian customs authorities and Phillip Morris Bulgaria representatives organized the destruction of over 7 million counterfeit cigarettes bearing the mark L&M.

The destroyed cigarettes were part of over 14.5 million cigarettes seized by the Bulgarian customs officials in September 2010 and February 2011 at border checkpoints Kulata and Ilinden, southwestern Bulgaria. The remaining cigarettes are to be destroyed soon.

Bulgaria’s Customs Agency and Philip Morris Bulgaria have recently signed a cooperation agreement aimed at fighting the illicit trade of tobacco products. L&M brand cigarettes make 3 percent of all seized cigarettes in Bulgaria in 2010 and 9 percent of all seized cigarettes during the first five months of 2011.

For more information, please contact Preslav Penev at our Bulgaria office.

Source: Bulgarian Customs