Authorities seize over 15kg of cannabis

Over the last few days authorities have seized and confiscated over 15kg of cannabis sent to Cyprus via courier services.

In a statement, police said that on January 27 local law enforcement, working with police in Greece, tracked three packages with a courier service that were en route to Cyprus. The three packages contained 13.9 kg of cannabis.

Two of the packages were picked up at the courier service’s offices by a 32-year-old woman, while the third was picked up by a 41-year-old woman.

Next police mounted a joint operation with customs which resulted in the arrest of the two women as the latter were picking up the suspect packages.

While patting down the 32-year-old, police found on her person a nylon bag containing five grams of cocaine.

Both women were remanded in custody for eight days.

Separately, also on January 27, a customs officer carrying out a sample check at a post office in Limassol found four suspicious packages sent from overseas.

The officer alerted the police’s Drug Squad. Following checks, it was discovered that three of the four packages contained a total of 300 plastic cylindrical containers which held factory-made cigarettes with quantities of dried hemp. The fourth package contained cannabis.

Combined, the four packages contained cannabis of a net weight of 1.5kg.

Police said the designated recipient was a 25-year-old man, who on January 30 went to pick up the packages. He was arrested on the spot for possession of a controlled substance.

During a court-approved search of the suspect’s home, authorities discovered approximately 650 grams of cannabis, two grams of cocaine, and a precision scale with traces of cannabis.

A court subsequently ordered the man remanded in police custody for seven days.

And in a different case, on January 31 during a sample check of a cardboard box sent from abroad, a customs officer discovered a suspect substance inside.

The Drug Squad was notified. Examining the box, they found a nylon package containing dried hemp weighing 585 grams.

The recipient of the box was identified as a 25-year-old man – the same person who had been arrested in the case of the 1.5kg of cannabis.