Five British nationals remanded over alleged tobacco smuggling at Larnaca airport
Five British nationals were remanded for two days after allegedly attempting to take 74.75kg of rolling tobacco from northern Cyprus to Manchester.
Larnaca, Cyprus. Five British nationals appeared before Larnaca district court on Sunday after being accused of attempting to smuggle almost 75 kilograms of rolling tobacco from northern Cyprus onto a flight to Manchester.
They were arrested at Larnaca airport on Saturday and remanded in custody for two days. They are due to appear in court again on Tuesday.
Tobacco quantities
The customs department said three of the suspects each had 300 packages of rolling tobacco in their suitcases. Each package weighed 50 grams, amounting to 15kg per person and 45kg in total.
A fourth suspect was found with 235 packages, weighing 11.75kg, while the fifth had 360 packages weighing 18kg.
The total quantity seized was 1,495 packages, weighing 74.75kg.
Green Line Regulation
According to the customs department, none of the packages displayed the bilingual Turkish and Greek health warning, security feature or traceability code required for tobacco products sold in the Republic of Cyprus.
Authorities believe the tobacco products were purchased in the north and said their transfer to Larnaca in such quantities constituted a violation of the Green Line Regulation.
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