SOFIA, July 5 (Xinhua) -- Bulgarian authorities have busted a large illegal cigarette factory and arrested 12 suspects, the country's Ministry of Interior said in a statement on Friday.

The factory with a production capacity of 2,000 cigarettes per minute was located in the village of Trud, near the second largest Bulgarian city Plovdiv, the statement said.

It has been in operation since the beginning of this year, the statement said.

Authorities have searched eight addresses, three motor vehicles and a trailer, and found a large quantity of finished products and cigarette consumables, it said.

The ministry also said that four of those arrested are Bulgarians, seven Ukrainians and one Moldovan.