This week, Cuban Customs intercepted two separate attempts at illegal smuggling at Havana's José Martí International Airport. Authorities seized a total of 1,948 cigars hidden across four pieces of luggage and seven live birds concealed in deodorant tubes strapped to a passenger's body. Both incidents involved individuals attempting to transport these items to the United States.
The thwarted smuggling operations were revealed on Thursday by Wiliam Pérez González, Deputy Chief of Cuba's General Customs of the Republic (AGR), via his account on the social media platform X.
According to the official report, customs agents discovered the cigars distributed among the luggage of four travelers, who were trying to leave the country for the U.S. without declaring them. Pérez noted that the authorities filed a report with the police regarding this seizure.
Smuggling Birds in Unusual Ways
In the second incident, a passenger attempted to smuggle birds by attaching them to his body, hidden within deodorant tubes. Addressing this case, the AGR official stressed that "protecting natural heritage is a priority for border security."
This method of smuggling has been detected before. Earlier this year, in February, another traveler was caught at the Havana airport with 28 birds concealed in a similar manner.
Ongoing Challenges with Cigar Trafficking
Illegal cigar smuggling is not an isolated occurrence. In the past two months alone, Cuban customs have conducted several similar operations, uncovering over 370 boxes of counterfeit cigars and confiscating more than 3,800 cigars bound for Panama. Additionally, authorities discovered over 4,000 Cuban brand seals hidden in luggage.
Customs officials have emphasized that such actions harm the reputation and prestige of Cuban brands abroad and constitute legal violations that could lead to police reports.
Enhanced Security Measures
Cuba's AGR has warned that it will continue to strengthen controls at airports to combat any form of smuggling and illicit activities through the country's borders. Besides the cases involving cigars and animals, authorities have also reported six drug trafficking operations at Havana airport so far this year, highlighting the ongoing attempts to move illegal substances through this air terminal.
Frequently Asked Questions about Smuggling Incidents at Havana Airport
How did customs detect the cigar smuggling attempt?
Customs agents found the cigars distributed among the luggage of four travelers who attempted to leave Cuba for the U.S. without declaring them.
What was unusual about the bird smuggling method?
The passenger attempted to smuggle live birds by hiding them in deodorant tubes that were attached to his body.
What other types of smuggling have been reported at Havana airport?
Apart from cigars and animals, there have been six drug trafficking operations reported at Havana airport this year.