Customs net fashion brands, tobacco

Clothing, footwear and bags of well-known fashion brands such as Dior, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Yves Saint Laurent, Etro Jimmy Choo, Salvatore Ferregamo and Michael Kors, worth a total of € 21,027, were found and seized by customs officers after a couple arriving from Zurich at Larnaca airport tried to import the items on Sunday evening.

An air traveller from a non-EU country to an EU country is only allowed to import items worth €430 and taxes and customs duties are applied on the value of goods exceeding this amount.

The couple was charged €3,000 for trying to evade paying the money and neglecting to declare the goods.

After paying this amount and two charges for duties and taxes for the items, €5,758 and €576, the items were returned to their owners.

On Monday morning customs officers also detected 12 kilos of Old Holborn tobacco in 48 packets of 250 grammes each when they checked a vehicle crossing the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint from the north.

The driver, who has repeatedly been involved in similar offences was arrested for fraudulent evasion of taxes and for violating the Green Line regulation.

The person, who has repeatedly been involved in similar offenses, was arrested for the illicit possession of duty-free tobacco, fraudulent evasion of duties and taxes and the violation of the Green Line regulation.

The tobacco, for which the tax payable amounts to €2,500, as well as the car were confiscated.

The director of the customs department accepted an out-of-court settlement of €4,200 for the offences committed and an additional €500 for returning the vehicle to its owner who was released after paying the money.