Cypriot authorities have confiscated a significant quantity of untaxed tobacco products after stopping a pickup truck near the buffer zone on the southern outskirts of Nicosia, officials said Thursday.
According to the Customs Department, police intercepted the vehicle on Wednesday. The driver, a 75‑year‑old Greek Cypriot, was taken in for questioning after officers discovered a large cache of tobacco products in the truck.
The inspection uncovered:
- 203 cartons of cigarettes
- 30 cartons of heated‑tobacco products
- Loose rolling tobacco weighing 3.75 kilograms
- One kilogram of shisha tobacco
None of the items carried the required health warnings in Greek and Turkish, indicating they were untaxed and illegally imported.
The driver was arrested but later released after agreeing to an out‑of‑court settlement. He paid €13,000 in penalties, authorities said.