Tax employee accused of smuggling cigarettes from the north

AN EMPLOYEE of the Inland Revenue and his wife were remanded in custody for two days after being arrested at the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint on Sunday in connection with a cigarette smuggling operation, police confirmed yesterday.

Emmanuel Vassou and Daniela Abdul Sader were arrested after customs officers at the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint found 52 boxes of cigarettes they had purchased in the north, hidden in a specially designed compartment in their car.

Vassou is said to have attempted to cajole the officers by using his influence as an income tax officer, and later refused to allow a search to be carried out in his home on Michael Shiakallis road in Strovolos.

But the search went ahead after the head of the Customs Services Investigations department, Niki Hadjiyianni, was issued a search warrant and officers found a further 210 cigarette cartons and a large quantity of cosmetics, which they believe the suspects were selling to kiosk owners around the capital.

The suspects appeared before a Nicosia court on Sunday and were remanded for two days.

But the arrests were not accidental, as Customs officers were aware that a smuggling operation was taking place in the capital with the circulation of tax-free products to kiosks around the capital.

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