Cyprus Seizes Cigarette-laden NKorean Ship, Detains its Crew, Including Lebanese
Cypriot authorities have seized a North Korean-registered cargo ship suspected of smuggling nearly a million packs of cigarettes to Egypt.
A court in Cyprus has ordered the detention of the Egyptian captain of the Prince T as well as a Lebanese and two Syrian crew members for eight days while authorities investigate. No charges have been filed.
Cyprus Customs Department official Niki Hadjiyianni said Wednesday the illegal cigarettes are estimated to have a street value of -700,000 ($993,000).
A police patrol boat intercepted the ship Tuesday about 16 kilometers off eastern Cyprus after it had set sail from Famagusta in the breakaway Turkish Cypriot north. The ship had been heading to Port Said in Egypt.