Customs officials at Larnaca Airport discovered large quantities of duty-free cigarettes in the luggage of two passengers bound for Manchester and London. The two passengers were arrested; one was placed in custody for three days, while the other paid 600 euros as part of an out-of-court settlement.
In a statement, the Customs Department reported that “on September 24, 2026, Customs Department officers at Larnaca Airport, following an assessment of intelligence, identified two passengers bound for Manchester and London in the United Kingdom, respectively, whose luggage contained large quantities of cigarettes.”
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Specifically, “a total of 180 cartons, each containing 200 cigarettes, were found in the two checked bags of one passenger, while in the other passenger’s luggage, 98 packs of 20 cigarettes each (nearly 10 cartons) were found, the packaging of which did not bear the “smoking is harmful” warning in Greek and Turkish, nor did they bear the security feature or the unique traceability code—indications that they were duty-free.”
As reported, “the two passengers were arrested for offenses committed in the act, while their luggage and its contents were confiscated.”
The first passenger was taken into custody, and the following day he appeared before the Larnaca District Court, which ordered his detention for three days. The second passenger was released after his request for an out-of-court settlement of the case, involving the payment of €600, was accepted.
The confiscated cigarettes will be destroyed in accordance with the prescribed procedure.
