Cigarettes remain the most smuggled product
Tobacco products continue to be the most commonly smuggled goods entering the government-controlled areas of Cyprus from the occupied north, according to Customs Department spokesperson George Constantinou.
Speaking on Sigma’s Protoselido programme, Constantinou said the significant price difference between cigarettes and other tobacco products on either side of the Green Line remains the main driver of the illegal trade.
Because tobacco products in the occupied areas are not subject to the same customs duties and excise taxes imposed in the Republic of Cyprus, they are considerably cheaper and highly attractive to smugglers.
Two levels of illegal trafficking
According to Constantinou, the problem operates on two distinct levels.
The first involves individuals carrying relatively small quantities of tobacco products for personal use, with seizures at crossing points occurring almost daily.
The second, and far more concerning, level involves organised tobacco smuggling operations.
Large quantities of cigarettes and other tobacco products are reportedly transported across sections of the Green Line outside official crossing points using commercial vehicles, vans, and trucks.
“There appears to be an organised distribution network for these cigarettes in the government-controlled areas,” Constantinou said.
He added that the products are not only sold locally but are also trafficked onwards to other European countries.
Smuggled tobacco exported through airports
Authorities have also identified cases involving the smuggling of illegal tobacco products to countries where cigarette taxes are even higher, including the United Kingdom and France.
According to Constantinou, some individuals are recruited specifically to carry luggage packed with tobacco products through Larnaca and Paphos airports.
One recent case involved two Spanish nationals stopped at Paphos Airport on Saturday night while attempting to transport almost 50 kilograms of rolling tobacco.
The tobacco was packed into luggage destined for Manchester in the United Kingdom and amounted to approximately 500 packets of 50 grams per suitcase.
Fines or court proceedings
Constantinou explained that tobacco smuggling is treated as an economic offence because it involves the evasion of customs duties and excise taxes.
In the recent Paphos Airport case, one of the Spanish nationals opted for an out-of-court settlement and paid €8,000.
The second individual declined a settlement offer, was arrested and later appeared before the Paphos District Court, which ordered his detention pending trial.
Products are always confiscated
Regardless of whether a case is settled out of court or proceeds through the judicial system, all tobacco products involved are confiscated and never returned.
Constantinou noted that any financial settlement is separate from the confiscation of the goods and is determined according to several factors, including the quantity involved, whether the individual has committed similar offences before and the methods used to conceal the illegal cargo.
Authorities intensify enforcement
The Customs Department says it continues to carry out intensive inspections and enforcement operations, as tobacco smuggling remains one of the most significant challenges facing authorities.
Officials warn that organised trafficking networks continue to exploit price differences between the occupied and government-controlled areas, making tobacco smuggling a persistent issue for law enforcement agencies.
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