Customs authorities seize smuggled cigarettes and pesticides in Cyprus

On June 17, 2026, customs officials at Paphos Airport apprehended a British couple, aged 29 and 27, who were traveling with their four-year-old child to Bournemouth, UK. Authorities discovered 215 cartons of cigarettes, totaling 43,000 individual units, hidden in their luggage. The cigarettes lacked required health warnings and traceability codes, indicating they were smuggled and duty-free. The couple was released after agreeing to pay an out-of-court settlement of €12,900, while the confiscated items were seized. In a separate incident on the same day, customs officers at the Astromeritis-Zodias crossing point intercepted a Greek Cypriot driver carrying 1,000 ml of liquid and 400 grams of powdered pesticides. These substances were confiscated for destruction, as their transport from the north to the free areas violates the Green Line regulations.