Cigarette smuggling ring convicted

Six people – including airport customs officers – have been found guilty in a cigarette smuggling scheme that goes back many years and ended up costing the state at least €639,000 in unpaid tax revenue.

After two-and-a-half years of court hearings, six people were found guilty on Thursday for illegal possession of commercial goods, conspiracy to commit fraud, committing a misdemeanour, money laundering, bribing a public official, and neglect of service duty.

The case dates back to 2008, when authorities received a tip-off and searched the cargo of a Cyprus Airways aircraft upon arrival. Expecting to find drugs in what had been declared on paper as furniture, they instead discovered 25 kilos of cigarettes and cigars.