Customs Authority: Seizures of Millions of Euros, 528 Weapons and Drugs at Airports and Borders
The Customs Authority announced the results of customs checks for the first half of 2026: millions of euros, 528 weapons, 4.1 million cigarettes and exotic birds were seized at airports and border checkpoints.
Customs Authority: Weapons, Drugs, Gold and Parrots Among First Half of 2026 Findings
According to Google News GR — Crime (el), the Independent Authority of Public Revenue (Customs Authority) released the results of customs checks conducted during the first half of 2026 at airports, ports and border checkpoints across the country. In total, millions of euros in cash, 528 weapons, 4.1 million cigarettes, narcotic substances and exotic birds were seized — among them two red macaws.
The checks were carried out with the assistance of modern X-Ray systems and specially trained detection dogs. The aim was to combat the illegal trafficking of liquid assets, narcotics and counterfeit products, as well as to restrict contraband in tobacco, alcoholic and energy products.
Tobacco and Alcohol at Multiple Entry Points
At Kipes Customs, 218,280 cigarettes, 7 kilogrammes of narghile tobacco, 4.5 kilogrammes of tobacco, 240 cigars and 1,800 tobacco rods were seized. At Evzoni Customs, with the help of detection dogs "Boyca" and "Aria", 43,857 cigarettes, 27,540 heated tobacco rods, 4.37 kilogrammes of tobacco and 100 cigars hidden in vehicles and passengers' luggage were found. At Kastanies Customs, 52,560 cigarettes were seized, whilst at Patras Customs 4,600 cigarettes without the required tax stamp tape were seized, found in street markets. Smaller quantities were seized at Orestiada and Kakavia customs.
As for alcoholic beverages, at Kipes Customs 175 litres of alcoholic drinks were seized. At Kakavia Customs, via the mobile X-Ray system, a total of 100 litres of illicit loose alcohol hidden in the luggage of a passenger vehicle and a coach on the Tirana–Athens route were found in two separate cases.
Medicines, Crop Protection Products and Mobile Phones
At Kastanies Customs, 268 packages of illegal pharmaceutical preparations — containing active substances such as somatotropin, exemestane and tofacitinib — were seized, as well as 60 packages of food supplements not declared to the National Organisation for Medicines and 15 litres and 500 grammes of illegal crop protection products of Turkish origin. At Kipes Customs, a further 190 packages and 22 vials of pharmaceutical and parapharmaceutical preparations were confiscated, as well as 65 packages and 60 litres of illegal crop protection products.
At N. Orestiada Customs (Ormeniou border checkpoint), 500 smuggled mobile phones hidden in a vehicle's luggage were found.
Narcotics and Arrest at Ormeniou
At the same customs post, inspectors found 11 kilogrammes of raw cannabis hidden in electronic equipment packaging inside an incoming vehicle. One person was arrested and a case file was opened.
At Athens Airport "Eleftherios Venizelos", with the assistance of detection dogs "Diego", "Hant", "Camora" and "Bane", narcotic substances from passengers' luggage and cargo were seized.
Fossil from the Lesbos Forest
At Mytilene Customs, during an X-ray inspection of luggage on a flight to Romania, a section of a fossilised tree trunk from the protected Petrified Forest of Lesbos was found and seized — a Protected Natural Monument included in the NATURA 2000 network, valued at more than 7,000 euros. A foreign female passenger was arrested on charges of smuggling cultural heritage items. The finding will be returned to the Museum of Natural History of the Petrified Forest of Lesbos.
Counterfeit Products and Gold Jewellery
At Kipes Customs, 1,990 grammes of gold jewellery, 330 items of clothing, 25 pairs of shoes, 80 counterfeit perfumes and 1,360 items of dental products were also seized. At Evzoni and Doirani Customs, 114 pairs of counterfeit shoes and 103 items of imitation clothing of well-known commercial brands were confiscated.
At Kipes Customs, 22,039 items of counterfeit clothing and footwear with fake marks of well-known companies were also seized, as well as 1,705 illegal toners and 8 moulds for reproducing labels of branded marks.
At Evzoni Customs, 80 litres of motor oil, one 9-kilogramme cylinder of illicit refrigerant, two boat batteries, 58 electric digital thermostats and 1,687.50 metres of floor heating cable were seized, whilst illegal transportation of dogs was also detected.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)