Customs officials located and seized nearly 400 vials of pharmaceutical products used in cosmetic procedures such as Botox at the Agios Dometis border crossing, in one of the largest seizures of such products ever carried out in a single operation.
The case involves a 38-year-old Turkish Cypriot who was stopped for inspection around 1:00 a.m. on Thursday, November 12, while driving a vehicle with Turkish Cypriot license plates. During the search, 399 vials were found inside a personal bag, which was inside a piece of luggage.
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Speaking on the Alpha Kalimera program, Customs Department Spokesperson George Konstantinou stated that the vials were wrapped in toilet paper in an attempt to conceal their contents. According to preliminary investigations, the 38-year-old allegedly intended to travel from Larnaca Airport to Rome, Italy, via Belgrade.
The 38-year-old was arrested, and his vehicle was seized as the means of transporting the drugs. He was subsequently released after his proposal for an out-of-court settlement was accepted. He paid €9,000 for the pharmaceuticals and an additional €1,000 to have his vehicle released.
A spokesperson for the Customs Department noted that the case is cause for concern, as the individual involved had no professional connection to the sector in question and was reportedly acting as a transporter.
“What is concerning is that this particular Turkish Cypriot has no connection to the profession. He is not a doctor. He has no connection to beauty clinics. He has no connection to cosmetic procedures.”
“Anyone can put 400 vials of pharmaceutical preparations in their bag and smuggle them through Cyprus, either within Cyprus or to another European Union country,” he noted, highlighting the scale that the illegal trafficking of such products can reach.
He highlighted the risks that may arise from the use of pharmaceutical products that do not have the necessary marketing authorizations in the Republic of Cyprus. As the Customs Department spokesperson explained, even a product that is legally marketed in another country does not necessarily mean it can be legally imported and distributed in Cyprus. Its distribution requires the necessary authorization from the competent authorities.
At the same time, he emphasized that safety is not only a matter of a product’s origin and quality, but also of the conditions under which it is stored and transported.
“They may not be dangerous, but they can become dangerous when not stored properly and when not transported as they should be,” was his key warning to the public.
He urges citizens to be particularly careful about where they go for cosmetic treatments and what products are used, ensuring that they have the necessary licenses and that the prescribed procedures are followed.
