On August 8, 2026, officials from the Customs Department at Larnaca Airport, after evaluating information, identified five passengers of British nationality, prior to their departure for Manchester, United Kingdom, whose luggage contained large quantities of tobacco for hand-rolled cigarettes, whose packaging did not bear the health warnings in Greek and Turkish, nor did it include the security feature or the unique traceability code, indications that they were untaxed.
Specifically:
- A total of 300 packs, each weighing 50 grams (for a total of 15 kilograms), were found in the first passenger’s luggage.
- A total of 235 packages, each weighing 50 grams (for a total of 11 kilograms and 750 grams), were found in the second passenger’s luggage
- A total of 300 packages, each weighing 50 grams (for a total of 15 kilograms), were found in the third passenger’s luggage.
- A total of 360 packages, each weighing 50 grams (for a total of 18 kilograms), were found in the fourth passenger’s luggage
- A total of 300 packages, each weighing 50 grams (for a total of 15 kilograms), were found in the luggage of the fifth passenger
The five passengers were arrested on the spot for offenses committed in flagrante delicto, while their luggage and its contents (a total of 74 kilograms and 750 grams of tobacco) were confiscated. Today, all five were brought before the Larnaca District Court, which issued an order for their two-day detention.
