Customs officials arrested two foreign passengers attempting to transport large quantities of untaxed tobacco products to the United Kingdom.
The arrests occurred at Paphos Airport on April 30 after customs officials, acting on intelligence, inspected the luggage of two departing passengers.
Officials discovered 70 cartons of cigarettes (14,000 cigarettes) in one passenger’s luggage and 402 pouches of rolling tobacco weighing more than 20 kilogrammes in the other’s baggage.
The tobacco products lacked mandatory health warnings in Greek and Turkish languages, indicating they had not been properly taxed.
Both women were arrested at the scene for offences committed in flagrante delicto, and their luggage and its contents were confiscated.
The Paphos District Court ordered the suspects held in custody for four days as investigations continue.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Customs.
