Cuban Customs Seizes Over 7,000 Cigars at Havana Airport

In a significant bust, Cuban Customs officials have seized more than 7,300 loose cigars along with 64 boxes at Havana's airport. This haul was discovered during an attempt to smuggle them out without any invoices or documents verifying their legal origin. The announcement was made on Sunday by Wiliam Pérez González, the First Deputy Chief of the General Customs of the Republic, through a post on X. He explained that this operation is part of the ongoing institutional campaign known as Secure Border.

Pérez González confirmed that the case has been reported to the police for further investigation. According to the details shared, these cigars were meant to be exported without adhering to Cuba's stringent export and control regulations. Interestingly, Pérez did not clarify whether the seizure occurred over a specific time frame, nor did he disclose the number of individuals involved in this illegal activity.

This confiscation is part of broader efforts by Customs to curtail tobacco smuggling, which poses a significant challenge as one of the most trafficked products in the country. The agency emphasized that it will continue to enforce strict controls at ports and airports to identify and counteract unauthorized export operations.

This latest seizure adds to a series of similar incidents reported in September. Notably, Cuban Customs recently thwarted an attempt to smuggle over 4,500 counterfeit cigars at Havana's international airport. Just days before, they intercepted an illegal export of more than 4,400 loose cigars with bands, which were intended to leave the country undeclared from the same airport.