3 Israelis separately arrested, fined in Cyprus for suspected tobacco smuggling — customs office

Three Israelis were arrested in separate incidents in Cyprus on Monday after they were found to be carrying excessive amounts of unmarked tobacco products, says the Cypriot Customs Office, which warned last month of growing instances of Israelis smuggling tobacco products from the island’s Turkish-occupied north.

Two Israeli women were caught at the Paphos Airport carrying, respectively, 19 and 10 cartons, each of which holds 200 cigarettes, the customs office says, while the legal limit for passengers leaving Cyprus for a non-EU country is one such carton.

The women were released from custody after they paid fines of €1,140 and €600 (some $1,300 and $685), respectively, the office says.

Another Israeli man was arrested after a routine security check of a vehicle driving him at the Deryneia crossing, between the Island’s two halves, according to the customs office.

The man, who was en route to the Larnaca Airport, was carrying 7.4 kilograms (16.3 pounds) of hookah tobacco, the office says, while the legal limit one is allowed to take to a non-EU country is 250 grams (0.55 pounds), the customs office says.

He was released upon payment of a €2,600 (nearly $3,000) fine, the office adds.

The tobacco products caught at both the airport and the crossing were confiscated and set for destruction, according to the customs office.

In both cases, the tobacco products bore neither a serial code nor a mandatory Greek- and Turkish-language health warning, indicating taxes on the products were unpaid, the office says.

Last month, after another Israeli was caught carrying an illegal amount, the customs office said a network smuggling tobacco from Cyprus to Israel by boat appeared to have reverted to “ant smuggling” —where many smugglers each carry a small amount of contraband — following major busts of the boat scheme last year.

In June and July, Israelis accounted for a significant minority of those caught with illegal amounts of tobacco products at crossings between north and south Cyprus, according to the Cypriot Customs Office.