A 55-year-old man was fined €3,300 after being caught with 64 kilogrammes of chicken meat smuggled from the occupied north.
The man was stopped in Pyla village at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday during a police patrol.
Preliminary investigations suggest the truck driver entered through an uncontrolled crossing point to avoid inspection.
“The Customs Department was informed late Tuesday afternoon about the inspection that took place after a patrol. The check revealed 64 kilograms of meat originating from the occupied areas, in violation of the Green Line Regulation, as the transport of animal products is prohibited,” Customs Department spokesperson George Constantinou told philenews.
The suspect reportedly admitted to customs officials that he had not paid duties on the meat and claimed he intended to supply a restaurant in Larnaca.
Constantinou added that “in addition to checks at crossing points, patrols are conducted along the Green Line by police and United Nations personnel, and inspections are carried out when suspicious vehicles or individuals are spotted at unauthorised crossing points”.
The Customs Department “intervenes when anything prohibited under the Green Line Regulation is detected,” he noted.
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