New Scam Uncovered: Used Luxury Car Imports from the UK

The Customs Department has uncovered a new scam involving the import of used luxury cars from the United Kingdom. According to the Press Officer of the Customs Department, Giorgos Konstantinou, speaking on the show Alpha Kalimera, the vehicles pass through the Netherlands or Bulgaria and are presented as European.

This practice mainly concerns luxury cars, sedans, and SUVs, with the aim of undervaluing their actual worth by one-fifth to one-twentieth. Mr. Konstantinou emphasized that the violations do not occur in Cyprus but in the United Kingdom, the first country of entry into the EU.

The Customs Department is in constant cooperation with the countries involved and has identified significant undervaluations in imported vehicles. In the last 16 months, over 1000 requests for administrative assistance have been sent to confirm customs clearance prices. Unfortunately, in most cases, the Netherlands allows automatic approval of declared prices due to workload.

Furthermore, Giorgos Konstantinou referred to the circumvention of national legislation regarding the import of used cars over 5 years old from third countries, which is prohibited in Cyprus.