Pafos Live 23 February 2026
Officials of the Customs Department at the Agios Dometios crossing point, in the context of the usual checks of persons and vehicles passing through the occupied to the free areas, selected for control a vehicle driven by a woman with Cypriot citizenship. During the inspection carried out in the vehicle, it was found that she was carrying 50 packs of 20 heated cigarettes each, carefully hidden in packets for tissues and which did not bear markings for the harmful to health in the Greek and Turkish languages, indicating that they are duty-free. The goods were confiscated and later a proposal by the person involved for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses was accepted with the payment of an amount of €150.
A little later that day, a vehicle driven by a woman with Romanian citizenship was selected for inspection. During the inspection carried out in the vehicle, it was found that she was carrying 6 boxes of 200 cigarettes each as well as packages of tobacco for rolled cigarettes with a total quantity of 1,500g, which did not bear markings for the harmful to health in the Greek and Turkish languages, indicating that they are duty-free. The driver was arrested for flagrante delicto, while the goods in question and the vehicle were confiscated. She was later released, after her proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses with the payment of an amount of €1000 was accepted.
Also on the same day, the officials of the Customs Department stopped a vehicle driven by a person with Georgian citizenship for inspection. During the inspection carried out on the vehicle, 1 package containing green dry plant matter similar to cannabis weighing 12g was found. The Police were immediately notified, which received both the suspect and the substance in question for the continuation of the investigation.
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Filenews
The presence and action of the Police last night was intense, throughout Cyprus, with organized patrols in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, ensuring public order and increasing the sense of security of the public.
As a result of the preventive policing operations, five people were arrested for various offenses, including driving under the influence of alcohol and carrying knives.
As part of these operations, during the night, 484 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 578 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 33 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, from which five complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 143 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, of which 20 driver complaints for driving under the influence of alcohol stand out. A total of 278 alcohol tests were carried out. Also, as part of the police examinations, five vehicles were detained.
Coordinated policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an increased/enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, with the aim of increasing the sense of security of citizens/protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
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A new development has emerged in the case of burglary of a house in the province of Larnaca, as the two stolen weapons were found buried on a farm in the Aradippou area, along with a safe containing €70.000.
According to a complaint submitted to the Police around 2.30am today, the 46-year-old owner of the house, between the hours of 10.50 last night and 0225 in the early hours of today, a burglary of his residence was committed, from where a metal gunsafe, measuring 160X40 centimeters, grey in colour, weighing about 50 kilograms, was stolen, inside which there were two double-barrelled shotguns.
According to the complaint of the 46-year-old, there was a sum of money inside the gunsafe, as well as a metal safe, measuring 50X25 centimeters, white in colour, which also contained a sum of money.
Members of the Police conducted examinations at the scene, while as part of the investigation of the case, an arrest warrant was issued against the 17-year-old. He was arrested and taken into custody, with investigations continuing by the Larnaca Police Department.
According to information from the Police, late on Sunday night, the TAE Larnaca found buried in a farm in the Aradippou area, a small safe containing €70.000, as well as the two weapons that had been stolen from the house.
According to information, other persons are expected to be arrested in connection with the case.
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A case of assault, injury, and stabbing, committed in the early hours of today, in a property in the area of Polis Chrysochous, is being investigated by the Police. For the case, the authorities proceeded to arrest a 42-year-old man.
Following information received shortly after 3.00 in the morning, regarding an attack on a patron of a premises in the Chrysochous apartment, members of the Police went to the scene, where, according to the information they collected, a 42-year-old man, a patron of the premises, pointed a knife and injured another patron, aged 25, after a verbal confrontation they had.
The 25-year-old and 42-year-old were taken to Polis Chrysochous Hospital, where it was found that the 25-year-old had injuries to the neck and shoulder, while the 42-year-old had injuries to the head and face. The two were taken to Paphos Hospital, where they underwent examinations and then the 25-year-old left voluntarily, while the 42-year-old was discharged.
The incident and the circumstances under which the 25-year-old and 42-year-old were injured are being investigated. As part of the police investigations, an arrest warrant was issued against the 42-year-old, under which he was arrested and taken into custody.
The Polis Chrysochous Police Station continues the examinations.
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The Customs Department participated last Friday 20/02/2026 in a coordinated operation together with the Police (YKAN and the Office for Combating Offenses of Theft of Intellectual Property and Illegal Betting), the Pharmaceutical Services and the Health Services, for the inspection of a premises in Larnaca, which sells cannabinoids and other products for sale.
During the investigation, the following were located and detained or confiscated:
- Customs: 145 pieces of e-cigarettes, e-liquids, swallowing drops, and 2 pieces of cannabinoid liquids for use on pets. Most of them, which have been identified in previous research, have already been analyzed by the State General Laboratory, which found the content of cannabinoids or other psychotropic substances, in some even the dangerous chemical substance MDMB-en-PINACA, which has very serious effects on human health. For those products that have not already been analyzed, samples will be sent to the General Chemical State Laboratory to determine their constituent elements and accordingly they will either be confiscated or handed back to the owner of the premises.
- YKAN: 193 packages of products containing cannabis or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)
- Other Services: 38 packages of products containing cannabinoid substances (CBD), for which there is no marketing authorization in the Republic of Cyprus in violation of the Medicinal Products for Human Use Law 70(I)/2001 or prohibited from being placed on the market in accordance with the Food (Control and Sale) Law 54(I)/1996.
The Customs Department emphasizes once again the extremely high risk posed by the circulation, disposal and even more so the consumption of such products uncontrollably and without medical or pharmaceutical advice and supervision. In particular, MDMB-en-PINACA, which is used illegally internationally as an adulterative substance in products marketed as natural cannabis or e-cigarette liquids (vaping), make its unintentional use an additional serious risk, since dozens of poisonings and numerous deaths due to it have been recorded worldwide. In addition, studies show that it can cause permanent damage to memory and learning, through the degradation of cells in the brain.
