A large quantity of untaxed tobacco products was seized on Thursday from a Turkish Cypriot–registered commercial vehicle on the Limassol–Larnaca motorway, according to a press release issued by the Cyprus Customs Department.
The incident unfolded when members of the Cyprus Police, specifically the Traffic Department of Police Headquarters, stopped the vehicle near Kofinou due to traffic violations. During an inspection of the vehicle’s storage area, officers discovered cardboard boxes containing large quantities of tobacco products.
Untaxed Tobacco Without Health Warnings
According to the press release, the boxes contained both shisha tobacco and tobacco for roll-your-own cigarettes. The packaging lacked mandatory health warning labels in Greek and Turkish, indicating that the products were untaxed.
Customs officers were immediately called to the scene and proceeded with the counting and seizure of the tobacco products.
In total, authorities confiscated:
- 12 packages of 1 kilogram and 24 packages of 250 grams each of shisha tobacco, amounting to 18 kilograms in total
- 120 packages of 50 grams each of roll-your-own tobacco, amounting to 6 kilograms in total
Driver Arrested, Vehicle Confiscated
The driver of the vehicle was arrested for offences committed in flagrante delicto, while the commercial vehicle itself was also seized as the means used to transport the illicit tobacco products.
Subsequently, the driver was released after her request for an out-of-court settlement was accepted. She paid €6,500 to settle the offences, along with an additional €500 for the release and return of the vehicle, the press release concludes.
Source: Cyprus News Agency – CNA