Ayios Dometios, Cyprus. Customs officers on Sunday seized cannabis and untaxed tobacco products during checks at the Ayios Dometios checkpoint. Two drivers accepted out-of-court settlements, while police took over a separate cannabis-related case.
Routine checks at checkpoint
In a statement, the Customs Department said the items were detected during routine checks of persons and vehicles crossing from the north to the government-controlled areas.
Heated tobacco sticks found in concealed packaging
Customs officers found 50 duty-unpaid packs of heated tobacco sticks, each containing 20 sticks, in a vehicle driven by a woman. The products were confiscated, and the driver later accepted an out-of-court settlement and paid a €150 fine. The department said the tobacco sticks had been carefully concealed inside tissue packets.
Cigarettes and rolling tobacco seized in second vehicle
Later the same day, a second vehicle driven by a woman was selected for inspection, and officers found six cartons containing 200 cigarettes each and rolling tobacco weighing a total of 1,500 grammes. The tobacco products did not bear the required health warnings in Greek and Turkish, indicating they were untaxed.
The driver was arrested for offences committed in flagrante, while the goods and the vehicle were seized. She was subsequently released after accepting an out-of-court settlement and paying €1,000.
Police notified after cannabis discovery
In a separate incident, customs officers stopped a vehicle driven by a man and found a package containing 12 grammes of green dry plant matter resembling cannabis. Police were immediately notified and took charge of the suspect and the substance for further investigation, as the matter falls under their jurisdiction.
What steps do you think authorities should take to reduce the smuggling of untaxed tobacco and drugs across checkpoints?
