Large quantities of tobacco products on which no tax has been paid were seized following two police vehicle searches in Oroklini on Thursday.

In the first case, a 46-year-old Turkish Cypriot woman was stopped driving a private car in which she had 11 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, 47 boxes of heated cigarettes, and 37.8kg of hookah tobacco.

The products lacked health warnings in Greek and Turkish, plus the required security features and traceability codes, indicating no tax had been paid.

Customs officers confiscated the tobacco and the vehicle, while the driver was arrested. She was later released after agreeing to an out-of-court settlement of €9,500 plus €500 for the vehicle’s return.

Shortly after, a commercial vehicle driven by a 51-year-old Turkish Cypriot man was checked on the same road.

Officers found 105 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, 16 boxes of heated cigarettes, 17.15kg of rolling tobacco, and 35kg of hookah tobacco, also missing legal markings and security features.

As in the first case, customs seized the products and the vehicle, while the driver was arrested, to be later released following an out-of-court settlement of €19,500 plus €500 for the vehicle’s return.