Deryneia, Cyprus. Smuggled tobacco concealed inside a vehicle was impounded at the Deryneia crossing on Tuesday after officers found cigarettes hidden in the sliding roof mechanism. The vehicle was confiscated and the driver was arrested.
Search at crossing
Crossing officers said they discovered nine boxes of 200 cigarettes and 225 grams of rolling tobacco concealed in the roof compartment. They described the concealment as carefully hidden.
Products lacked required markings
The tobacco products did not carry the required health warnings and traceability codes indicating duty-free origin from Turkey.
Settlement and release
The driver was later released after accepting an out-of-court settlement of €720 and reaching an agreement on the return of the vehicle.
