Five British nationals were arrested at Larnaca International Airport last week after customs officers found their luggage packed with large quantities of rolling tobacco lacking required health warnings and tax markings, authorities said.
According to the Customs and Excise Department, officers identified the five passengers on Aug. 8 following an intelligence assessment, before their departure on a flight bound for Manchester, United Kingdom.
Their checked bags were found to contain the tobacco in packaging without Greek- and Turkish-language health warnings, security features, or unique traceability codes — indicators that the products were untaxed and duty-unpaid.
Customs said the tobacco was distributed among the five passengers as follows:
- First passenger: 300 packets of 50 grams each, totaling 15 kilograms
- Second passenger: 235 packets of 50 grams each, totaling 11 kilograms, 750 grams
- Third passenger: 300 packets of 50 grams each, totaling 15 kilograms
- Fourth passenger: 360 packets of 50 grams each, totaling 18 kilograms
- Fifth passenger: 300 packets of 50 grams each, totaling 15 kilograms
All five were arrested on in-flagrante offenses, and their luggage and its contents — a combined 74 kilograms, 750 grams of tobacco — were seized, customs said.
The five appeared before the Larnaca District Court, which ordered them held for two days.
