Customs agents seized quantities of untaxed tobacco products in three separate cases at the Ledra Street and Ayios Dhometios crossing points between August 23 and 27, imposing out-of-court fines totalling €5,090.

According to a statement issued by the customs department on Friday, the first case was recorded on August 23 at the Ledra Street crossing during routine checks carried out under the Green Line Regulation.

Officers stopped a woman crossing on foot and searched her personal bags, where they found 2.25kg of rolling tobacco.

The packages, says the announcement, did not carry health warnings in Greek and Turkish, nor did they bear the required security feature or unique traceability code, indicating that the tobacco was untaxed.

The products were seized and will be destroyed in accordance with the prescribed procedure.

The woman was initially arrested for offences committed in flagrante delicto but was later released after customs accepted her proposal for an out-of-court settlement of €790.

A second case was recorded on August 25 at the Ayios Dhometios crossing, where customs agents stopped a taxi with Turkish Cypriot registration plates carrying a 39-year-old passenger.

A search of his luggage uncovered 13 cartons containing 200 cigarettes each, amounting to 2,600 cigarettes, as well as four packages containing a total of 40 cigars.

The tobacco products were found without the required Greek and Turkish health warnings, security markings or traceability codes and were seized.

The 39-year-old was initially arrested and later released after agreeing to pay an €800 out-of-court fine.

The largest seizure took place at the Ayios Dhometios crossing on August 27, when officers stopped another taxi with Turkish Cypriot registration plates carrying a 60-year-old man and his family.

Customs said agents discovered 44 cartons of cigarettes, containing a total of 8,800 cigarettes, as well as 2.575kg of rolling tobacco carefully concealed inside the man’s luggage.

The products again lacked the required health warnings, security features and traceability codes and were seized for destruction.

The 60-year-old was initially arrested before being released after customs accepted an out-of-court settlement of €3,500.

Across the three cases, customs imposed fines totalling €5,090.