A British woman was detained at Paphos Airport with 225 boxes of unmarked cigarettes

On 6 December 2025, officers of the Customs Department at Paphos Airport detected and detained a passenger with British citizenship who was travelling to the United Kingdom. Her three pieces of luggage contained large quantities of tobacco products without the required markings and security features.

A total of 225 boxes, each containing 200 cigarettes, were seized from three areas of the luggage. The absence of warnings in Greek and Turkish, the lack of the characteristic security element and the unique traceability code enabled customs officers to classify the goods as undeclared and showing signs of unmarked products that had not undergone excise registration.

The detainee was placed in a holding cell. Today she appears before the Paphos District Court; a request for four days of temporary detention will be considered.

For Cyprus residents, this incident demonstrates that customs authorities at Paphos Airport continue to monitor the import of tobacco products and to confiscate goods that do not meet marking and registration requirements.