Two cases involving the seizure of a large quantity of untaxed tobacco products at a residence in the Larnaca district and a quantity of dietary supplements due to a false declaration at theLimassol Port were handled by the Customs Department on September 8 and 30, respectively.
According to announcements by the Customs Department, on October 8, 2026, Department officials were informed by members of the Larnaca Police that, following a search of the home of a 52-year-old Greek Cypriot in the Larnaca district, large quantities of untaxed tobacco products had been discovered.
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Specifically, after being transported to the Larnaca Customs Office, a total of 101 cartons—each containing 200 cigarettes—were counted and confiscated, 215 cartons of 200 heated cigarettes each, and tobacco for hand-rolled cigarettes weighing a total of 9 kilograms and 825 grams. The packages did not bear warnings about the harmful effects of smoking in Greek and Turkish, nor did they include the security feature or the unique traceability code—indications that the products were duty-free.
The suspect was arrested for offenses committed in flagrante delicto but was later released after his request for an out-of-court settlement of the case was accepted, subject to the payment of €19,000. The confiscated tobacco products will undergo the prescribed destruction procedure.
Furthermore, on September 30, 2026, Customs Department officials, during routine inspections of shipping containers using drug-sniffing dogs to detect narcotics, inspected a consolidated cargo container originating from Greece.
During the inspection, they discovered a pallet of goods declared as “clothing.” However, upon physical inspection, they determined that the items were dietary supplements and energy drinks, for the import, market, and distribute, for which the private importer did not possess the necessary permits from the competent authorities.
The goods were seized due to false declarations in the documents submitted to the Customs Department, while the case is being further investigated in cooperation with the relevant agency of the Ministry of Health.
