Duty-Free Cigarettes Seized at Nicosia Crossing, Fine Imposed

In February, the Cyprus Customs Department conducted seizures of fuel and duty-free tobacco products at crossing points along the Green Line and imposed fines.

According to an official statement, on February 6, 2026, at the Ledra Street checkpoint in Nicosia, customs officers inspected a French citizen traveling from the occupied areas to the government-controlled part of the island.

In his luggage, they discovered 20 cartons of cigarettes (200 cigarettes each) which lacked the mandatory health warnings in Greek and Turkish, indicating a lack of excise marking.

The man was detained at the scene for the offense, and the goods were confiscated. He was later released after agreeing to an out-of-court settlement and paying a fine of 800 euros.