Police arrested a 30-year-old man in Larnaca district on Friday after finding 2,000 packs of contraband cigarettes and 54 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco in his car.
Officers from the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (DAOE) stopped the car he was driving at around 5.20pm, as part of a coordinated operation following the gathering and assessment of information. A search of the vehicle found a large quantity of contraband tobacco products.
He was arrested on the spot and taken with his car to Pera Chorio Nisou police station, where Customs officers counted 200 cartons, or 2,000 packs of 20 cigarettes, and 54 kilograms of hand-rolling tobacco in 1,080 packets of 50 grams each.
None of the products carried the markings required by law or the necessary traceability codes.
The man is being held in custody and the Customs Department is investigating.
