Cyprus authorities seize 25,400 untaxed cigarettes at Deryneia

The Cyprus Customs Department announced the seizure of 25,400 untaxed cigarettes at the Deryneia crossing point. The contraband was discovered in a vehicle driven by a Turkish Cypriot holding a British passport.

Upon inspection, authorities found 127 cartons of cigarettes inside three travel bags. The products lacked required Greek and Turkish health warnings, security markings, and individual traceability codes, indicating they were intended for the untaxed market. The driver was initially arrested for customs offenses but was released after agreeing to an out-of-court settlement involving an 8,000 Euro payment.

In a separate operation on the same day, authorities also conducted a search in the Larnaca region, where they seized thousands of cigarettes, heated tobacco products, small cigars, and approximately 4.45 kilograms of tobacco.