Cypriot Woman Caught Attempting to Smuggle Nearly 40 kg of Cigarettes from Paphos to the UK

At Paphos Airport, a resident of the TRNC was apprehended with a substantial amount of duty-free tobacco products. The woman was found carrying nearly 40 kilograms of cigarettes and tobacco.

According to the Customs Department, the woman was about to depart for the United Kingdom. Her luggage was selected for inspection at passport control, where officials discovered 166 boxes, each containing 200 cigarettes—totaling 33,200 cigarettes—as well as 37.5 kg of rolling tobacco.

The tobacco products had been transported to Paphos Airport from the northern part of the island. Notably, none of the cigarette packs carried safety warnings in Greek and Turkish, which are typically required for tobacco products sold in the Republic of Cyprus. They also lacked other protective markings commonly found on tobacco products in Cyprus.

As a result, the woman was arrested but later released after paying a €9,300 fine to settle the matter out of court.

❓ How many cigarettes can you legally export from Cyprus?