A 57-year-old Turkish Cypriot was caught with 14,000 duty-free cigarettes in his luggage at Larnaca Airport as he prepared to travel to the United Kingdom.
According to a statement from the Customs Department, officers identified the man on 2 September following an assessment of information and searched his luggage before his departure.
The inspection uncovered 70 cartons containing 200 cigarettes each, amounting to a total of 14,000 cigarettes.
Packaging lacked required markings
The cigarette packets did not carry the required Greek and Turkish health warnings about the harmful effects of smoking.
They also lacked the required security feature and unique traceability code, indicating that they were duty-free cigarettes.
The 57-year-old was arrested for offences detected in the act, while his luggage and the tobacco products were seized.
€4,200 paid to settle case
The man was later released after his request for an out-of-court settlement was accepted.
He paid €4,200 to settle the case.
The seized duty-free cigarettes will be destroyed in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
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