Officers of the Customs Department yesterday, at Larnaca Airport, intercepted two Turkish Cypriot passengers who were preparing to depart for the United Kingdom, carrying large quantities of duty free tobacco products in their luggage.
According to a Department announcement, the products did not bear the mandatory warnings about the harmfulness of smoking in Greek and Turkish, nor did they have the security feature and the unique traceability code, suggesting that they were illegal tobacco products.
During the check, 49 cartons of 200 cigarettes each were found in the luggage of the first passenger, along with roll-your-own tobacco weighing a total of 4 kilos and 850 grams. The passenger was arrested for offences committed in the act (in flagrante delicto), while the luggage and its contents were confiscated. He was later released after an out-of-court settlement proposal was accepted.
In the luggage of the second passenger, 71 cartons of 200 cigarettes and roll-your-own tobacco weighing 1 kilo and 250 grams were found. She was also arrested for offences committed in the act, with the luggage being confiscated. She was released after accepting an out-of-court settlement for the offences attributed to her.
The Customs Department reminds the public that the import, possession, or trafficking of un-taxed tobacco products constitutes a serious offence, which is punishable under Cypriot law.
