Newsroom
Cyprus’ Customs Department is sounding the alarm after two back-to-back cases of raw meat being brought from the occupied north into the Republic, a practice officials warn poses serious public health risks.
The first incident happened on November 26 at the Ayios Dhometios crossing, where customs officers stopped a rental car and uncovered about 150 kilos of raw animal products, mostly meat, bones, and skins, originating from the occupied areas.
The foreign driver, a national of Congo, abandoned the goods for destruction and paid a €500 out-of-court fine to get the vehicle back.
Just a week later, on December 3, officers at the same crossing found another haul: roughly 300 kilos of raw meat, also traced to the occupied areas, packed inside a passenger car driven by an African man with German citizenship. He, too, abandoned the meat and paid a €500 settlement to reclaim the vehicle.
In both cases, the cars and the animal products were immediately seized.
Customs officials say they’re increasingly worried by the rise in similar attempts. As the authority responsible for enforcing the Green Line Regulation, the department is once again urging the public to be extremely careful with purchases made in the occupied north and to follow the rules.
The warning is especially sharp when it comes to animals and animal products. Customs notes that raw meat crossing into the Republic without any veterinary or health checks can carry infectious diseases and poses a direct threat to public health.
“We’re seeing more of these cases, and the risks are real,” officials say, reminding the public that the Green Line is not just a political boundary but also a sanitary one.
