A 57-year-old Cypriot man was fined €20,000 for attempting to evade taxes on luxury goods brought from Switzerland, the customs department said on Thursday.

Customs officials told the Cyprus Mail that the man arrived at Larnaca airport from Switzerland on December 1 carrying a luxury watch worth around €98,000 and a scarf valued at €2,000.

He had bought the items tax-free in Switzerland, which is possible because the country is not an EU member, but was required to declare them and pay the relevant taxes upon entering Cyprus.

Instead, he attempted to leave the airport through the channel for passengers with nothing to declare.

Customs officers stopped him, and he was subsequently ordered to pay €20,000 in outstanding taxes.