Newsroom
Three passengers heading for the UK got an unexpected boarding delay on Monday after customs officers at Larnaca Airport opened their luggage and found it packed with cigarettes, not clothes.
According to the Customs Department, officers acted on specific information and decided to inspect the bags of three departing passengers. What they found raised immediate red flags: 210 cartons of cigarettes, neatly divided between the three suitcases, 70 cartons per bag.
None of the cigarette boxes carried the required health warning labels in Greek or Turkish, a clear sign they were duty-free and not meant to be travelling in bulk. In other words, this was no innocent “grab a few cartons for friends” situation.
The passengers were arrested on the spot for flagrant offenses, while customs officials confiscated both the luggage and its contents.
The case didn’t make it to court. The three were later released after agreeing to an out-of-court settlement, paying a total of €4,200, or €1,600 each, to close the case.
Customs authorities did not release further details about the passengers, but the message was clear: if you’re flying out of Cyprus, packing your suitcase like a mobile duty-free shop is a fast way to miss your flight, and lighten your wallet.
