A series of confiscations occurred in recent days following checks conducted by Customs Department officers at the Agios Dometios and Deryneia crossing points.
Specifically, on March 12, 2026, at the Agios Dometios crossing point, Customs Department officers intercepted for inspection a vehicle driven by a woman of Russian descent holding Cypriot citizenship, accompanied by a female passenger also of Russian descent holding Cypriot citizenship.
During the search of the vehicle, two cartons of cigarettes (200 pieces each), 12 cartons of heated tobacco products (200 pieces each), as well as two pouches of rolling tobacco weighing a total of 100 grams, were found. The products did not bear the required health warning labels in Greek and Turkish, indicating that they were duty-free (contraband) goods.
During the inspection of a bag belonging to the passenger, bundles of cash totaling €150,000 were also discovered. No adequate explanations or supporting documents were provided regarding their origin and intended use.
The two women were arrested for flagrant offenses, while the tobacco products and the vehicle were confiscated as the means of their transport. They were subsequently released after accepting a proposal for an out-of-court settlement, paying a total amount of €600, and their vehicle was returned to them. The suspicious cash was retained for further investigation in cooperation with the Police and MOKAS (Unit for Combating Money Laundering).
A little later that same evening, at the same crossing point, Customs Department officers intercepted a vehicle driven by a man of Greek descent holding Greek citizenship. Found inside the vehicle were a plastic tube containing a small amount of cannabis, a small nylon bag containing a small amount of a transparent crystalline substance believed to be crystal methamphetamine (“crystal”), a small cannabis grinder, and two liquefaction devices for vaping the substance.
The driver was arrested for a flagrant offense, and members of YKAN (Drug Law Enforcement Unit) were called to the scene, taking custody of both the suspect and the confiscated evidence.
In a separate incident on March 15, 2026, at the Deryneia crossing point, Customs Department officers proceeded to check a passing vehicle driven by a foreign national holding Cypriot citizenship. During the check, in violation of the provisions of the Green Line Regulation, various animal products were found and confiscated. These included three liters of a dairy product (ayran), 700 grams of cheese, 1 kilo and 300 grams of salami, as well as seven packages of raw chicken weighing a total of 4 kilos and 744 grams.
The competent services are continuing their investigations into these cases.
