Police seize 32kg of cannabis in two separate cases (updated)

Police seized 32 kilos of cannabis in Nicosia and Larnaca and detained two suspects in two separate cases, officials said on Tuesday.

Police and customs officers found 27 kilos of the drug inside the luggage of a man, 33, who had just arrived in Larnaca from Athens at 10.30pm on Monday. The drugs were found after the suitcase went through the scanner at the airport, customs said,

“During the search, customs officers found in the luggage of the 33-year-old, a total of 128 plastic-wrapped packages containing about 215 grams of cannabis each,” drug squad spokesman Stelios Sergides said.

According to Sergides, police would examine whether assistance will be requested from Europol and Interpol in terms of finding the suppliers in Greece. The suspect’s associates in Cyprus would also be traced, he said.

“Initially, it seems that the man is a member of a criminal group that trafficked drugs to Cyprus,” he added.

The 33-year-old was later remanded in custody for eight days.

Earlier Monday, police arrested a 37-year-old Limassol resident after 5 kilos of cannabis were found inside two water pressure pumps imported via international courier.

The pumps arrived in Nicosia with the recipient being a Limassol resident, police spokesman Christos Andreou said.

The suspect was arrested at around lunchtime after collecting the pumps.

Earlier this month, police also seized about 20 kilos of cannabis and arrested three suspects.

“The three cases are a substantial blow to drugs trafficking,” Andreou said, but they also showed that the problem was serious and had to be tackled.