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The First Deputy Chief of the Customs of Cuba, Wiliam Pérez González, announced the seizure of more than 2,000 Cuban cigars when a traveler attempted to smuggle them out of the country hidden in their luggage.
Pérez González specified in a post on the social media platform X that there were "more than 2,200 cigars of different brands" that were intercepted at Havana Airport.
Several photos shared by the aforementioned source showed some of the tobacco, many of them from the Cohíba brand, wrapped in newspaper packages.
The official added that "customs forces are always vigilant in the fight against illegal activities for a Safe Border."
He also stated that the extraction of tobacco from the country must comply with the provisions of Resolution 98/2022 of the Ministry of Agriculture (GOC-2022-332-EX28), which sets forth the quantities and documentation to be presented at the border.
Pérez did not specify whether the seizure was carried out over a period of time, nor did he provide details on the number of people involved.
The regulation on the non-commercial export and import of rolled tobacco (cigars) establishes the applicable rules for non-commercial rolled tobacco, adjusting them to current conditions and easing the work of Customs, particularly in the control of travelers' luggage.
The official document defines "twisted tobacco" as a product made solely from tobacco leaves or cut tobacco, wrapped in "capote" and "capa" leaves.
Rules for Travelers
Mandatory declaration: Every traveler leaving the country must declare to Customs any hand-rolled tobacco they carry.
Allowed limits without commercial character: Up to 20 individual units without an invoice and up to 50 units in original packaging: without an invoice.
More than 50 units: an official invoice or authorization document from Habanos S.A. is required.
Special cases:
Cigar humidors or cases purchased at the Habano Festival are allowed, provided there is official documentation from Habanos S.A.
Requirements of the original packaging
The containers must be closed and equipped with the following elements:
-Brand logo, DOP seal or stick "Habanos".
-National origin guarantee seal, with a barcode and hologram.
-Registration on the label: “Habanos S.A.”, “Made in Cuba”, “Totally handmade”.
-Factory code and date of manufacture.
The Cuban Tobacco Business Group must inform Customs about any changes in these authentication elements.
The failure to comply with these regulations entails the confiscation of the merchandise in accordance with current customs legislation, without prejudice to criminal liabilities.
Recent seizures
In September, the Cuban Customs seized more than 7,300 loose cigars and 64 boxes at Havana Airport after detecting an attempt at illegal extraction without invoices or documents proving their legal origin.
The seizure is part of the actions that Customs is taking to curb tobacco smuggling, which is considered one of the main products at risk of illegal trafficking in the country.
The organization reiterated that controls at ports and airports will be maintained in order to detect such operations and take action against those attempting to remove goods without authorization.
In another recent case, the Customs of Cuba frustrated an attempt to smuggle more than 4,500 counterfeit cigars, also at the José Martí International Airport in Havana.
Days before, customs halted the smuggling of the exorbitant amount of over 4,400 loose cigars with rings that were set to leave the country undeclared from the same airport.
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