Nicosia, Cyprus. Cyprus customs officials said they record about 200 to 300 smuggling and illicit trade violations each month at crossing points between government-controlled areas and the north. A spokesperson said enforcement has remained focused on the crossings since their opening in 2003.
Monthly violations and enforcement role
Customs department spokesperson George Constantinou told Sigma TV on Friday that the situation reflects ongoing efforts to address illegal trade flows linked to the area. He said the European Commission has designated the customs department as the guardian of the implementation of the Green Line regulation.
Most common goods seized
Constantinou said most cases involve small quantities of goods carried by individuals. Tobacco products are the most frequently seized, followed by fuel and animal produce, with animal produce subject to checks due to concerns over livestock disease risks.
Concerns over unauthorised crossing points
Authorities also expressed concern about unauthorised crossing points along the buffer zone, which Constantinou said pose a more serious enforcement challenge because larger volumes of goods are moved outside official controls. He said quantities transported through these points are many times greater than those detected daily at the roadblocks.
Organised trafficking networks and onward routes
The department said organised networks are involved in trafficking tobacco products, including cigarettes, rolling tobacco and narghile molasses, moving goods from the north into government-controlled areas and onwards to third countries. Constantinou also cited a secondary route targeting high-tax markets, particularly the United Kingdom, where intercepted consignments of tobacco products have been found in luggage at airports.
What measures would you like to see introduced to reduce smuggling through both official and unauthorised crossing points?
