Thousands of contraband cigarettes seized

POLICE yesterday seized some 2,650 cartons of contraband cigarettes believed to contain extra harmful substances than normal cigarettes. In cooperation with customs authorities, officers searched the house and car of a 57-year-old resident of a village in the Limassol region where the cartons were discovered. According to customs authorities the cigarettes appear to be imitations of authentic cigarettes and to contain an mixture of tobacco with other ingredients deemed to be particularly dangerous. After the suspect made a statement police then arrested a woman who appears to have been working in collaboration with him. The cigarettes if imported legally would have been liable to €85,000 in tax. The two suspects were taken to Limassol District Court who ordered they be remanded in custody for four days.

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