SOFIA, Aug. 12 (Xinhua) -- Customs authorities in Bulgaria's port city of Burgas have seized 436 kg of heroin concealed inside cable-laying machines, according to an announcement made on Monday.
The heroin, packed into 434 polyethylene bags, is the largest volume of the illicit drug ever intercepted at Burgas port, according to a joint press release from Bulgaria's National Customs Agency (NCA) and Prosecutor's Office.
The contraband was discovered on Friday during an X-ray examination of a trailer carrying four cable-laying machines that had arrived by ship from the Georgian city of Batumi, the press release said.
The heroin was hidden in cavities in the four machines, it said. The cargo documents indicated that the machines originated in Kyrgyzstan and were destined for Greece.
Authorities estimated the black market value of the heroin to be approximately 39 million U.S. dollars.
The investigation into the case is continuing. ■