Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus customs said duty-free tobacco products, diesel and drugs were seized at the Ledra Street, Kato Pyrgos and Ayios Dometios crossing points. The customs department announced the seizures on Wednesday.
Ledra Street tobacco seizure
In the early hours of Monday, customs officers at the Ledra Street crossing point stopped a Romanian woman who had previously been involved in similar offences.
During a search, officers found 10 cartons of cigarettes containing 200 cigarettes each, as well as 600g of rolling tobacco.
Customs said the products did not bear the required health warnings in Greek and Turkish, indicating they were duty-free. The woman was arrested and the tobacco products were confiscated, and the case was later settled out of court with the payment of €800.
Kato Pyrgos diesel seizure
On Tuesday, officers at the Kato Pyrgos crossing point inspected a vehicle driven by a Cypriot citizen and found 60 litres of diesel, which were confiscated.
The driver paid €200 for an out-of-court settlement and was subsequently allowed to proceed.
Ayios Dometios drug seizure
Also on Tuesday, at the Ayios Dometios crossing point, customs officers working with police stopped a vehicle driven by a Greek Cypriot, with his 21-year-old son as a passenger.
A search of the 21-year-old’s waist bag uncovered 4g of cocaine, 2g of cannabis and two grinders.
Customs said the drug squad (Ykan) was notified and took over the investigation, with the drugs and the individuals involved handed over.
What steps do you think could help reduce smuggling attempts at crossing points?
