Authorities seize large quantities of untaxed cigarettes at Cyprus airports

Cypriot Customs authorities have intercepted significant quantities of untaxed cigarettes at the airports of Larnaca and Paphos during the last several days. On September 24, 2026, at Larnaca Airport, officials identified two passengers bound for Manchester and London carrying 180 cartons and approximately 10 cartons of cigarettes, respectively. These items lacked mandatory health warnings in Greek and Turkish, as well as required security markers and traceability codes. One passenger was detained and subsequently remanded in custody for three days by the Larnaca District Court, while the second was released after paying an out-of-court settlement of 600 euros.

In a separate incident at Paphos Airport, authorities arrested two 35-year-old British nationals preparing to travel to Liverpool after discovering 210 cartons of untaxed cigarettes in their luggage. These suspects were scheduled to appear in court following the investigation. Across all cases, the authorities confiscated the illicit tobacco products as part of ongoing efforts to crack down on tax evasion and the smuggling of tobacco goods.