Police seized a total of 4,000 litres of fuel which had been illegally transported from the north in the back of a van, it emerged on Wednesday.

Having seen the van travelling from the north into the Republic, police performed a roadside search, uncovering a second fuel tank inside the van.

The van’s driver, a 39-year-old man, was taken to the police station, while the Customs Department took over the investigation.

The Cyprus Mail attempted to contact the Customs department for further information but received no response.