Over 100 Boxes of Duty-Free Tobacco Seized in Cyprus in Three Days

The Customs Department of the Republic of Cyprus has seized more than 100 boxes of duty-free tobacco products over the past three days.

On August 14, following a police alert, a passenger of Israeli origin, who was about to depart from Paphos Airport to Israel, was inspected. During the search, a package of rolling tobacco mixed with a small amount of cannabis was discovered. The passenger was arrested and taken to the Paphos police station for further investigation.

The following day, August 15, police at Larnaca Airport examined the luggage of a Turkish Cypriot heading to London. The inspection revealed 100 boxes of cigarettes, each containing 200 cigarettes, and 6 kg of rolling tobacco. The tobacco products lacked health warnings in Greek and Turkish. The passenger was arrested and brought before the Larnaca District Court.

On Friday, August 16, additional tobacco products were found during a search of a Syrian national’s car and home in Limassol. The Customs Department was notified of this discovery.

In total, the inspections resulted in the seizure of 74 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, 6 kg of rolling tobacco, and 750 grams of rolling tobacco, all lacking the required health warnings in Greek and Turkish. The foreign national was detained but later released after paying 8,000 euros for an out-of-court settlement.