Russian Women Detained at Ayios Dometios Checkpoint with €150,000 in Cash

At the Ayios Dometios checkpoint, authorities detained two Russian women with Cypriot citizenship after discovering €150,000 in cash during an inspection.

According to the Customs Department, on March 12, 2026, officers inspected a car driven by one of the women. Another Russian woman with Cypriot citizenship was also in the vehicle.

During the vehicle search, the following were found:

— 2 cartons of cigarettes (200 pieces each),

— 12 cartons of heated tobacco products (200 pieces each),

— 2 packs of rolling tobacco with a total weight of 100 grams.

The tobacco products lacked the mandatory health warnings in Greek and Turkish, indicating their duty-free origin.

Furthermore, when checking the passenger's bag, officers discovered bundles of cash totaling €150,000. The women could not provide clear explanations or documents confirming the source and purpose of these funds.

Both Russian women were detained on suspicion of committing offenses. The tobacco products and the vehicle used for their transport were confiscated.

The women were later released, and the vehicle was returned following an out-of-court settlement with a fine of €600.

The seized cash remains confiscated and will be investigated by the Customs Department in cooperation with the Police and the Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS).