Remand for suspect caught with 24kg of tobacco and cigarettes

A 57-year-old man was remanded for eight days on Saturday after he was found with more than 24 kilos of duty-free tobacco, following a car chase in Limassol, during which officers fired shots at the suspect’s car.

After receiving a tip-off regarding a vehicle carrying tobacco products, for which duties had not been paid, officers spotted the vehicle speeding at the Nicosia to Limassol motorway on Friday afternoon and signalled it to stop.

However, the driver ignored their signal, despite officers using blue lights and sirens and continued speeding and driving recklessly, said police.

The driver entered a residential area in Limassol, violating traffic lights and signals while at some point, he passed a traffic island and entered the opposite traffic lane.

Then, he drove towards the Limassol to Nicosia road where the officers fired a warning shot in the air.

But the driver did not stop, and police said they fired at the tyres which brought the vehicle to a halt.

Police said the suspect injured his head in his attempt to open the door and get out of the car.

He also allegedly verbally insulted the officers who approached him and resisted arrest, hitting a policeman on the leg.

During a search in the car, officers discovered a large amount of tax-free tobacco, which they handed over to customs officers at the new Limassol port.

The confiscated tobacco included four boxes weighing six kilos each with tobacco, a number of cartons containing 200 packs of cigarettes each, and several other boxes containing packages made up of 250-grammes of tobacco.

The suspect, who was identified as a 57-year-old Limassol resident, was taken to the district’s general hospital where he was kept for treatment. Officers were assigned to guard the suspect at the hospital.