A 26-year-old Greek Cypriot man was arrested in the early hours of Monday in Larnaca on suspicion of drug possession and traffic offences, police said.

The incident happened shortly before 2am during routine traffic checks. Officers from Larnaca traffic police signalled a car to stop for inspection. The driver failed to comply and allegedly attempted to escape by driving dangerously.

The vehicle was later blocked in a dead-end street. The driver then tried to flee on foot but was stopped by police officers. He was identified as a 26-year-old resident of the area.

According to police, during the chase the man was seen discarding three nylon bags. Tests later indicated they contained 2.5g of cocaine and 0.5g of cannabis.

He was arrested on the spot. Police said he also refused to undergo both an alcohol test and a drug test.

The man was taken to the drug law enforcement unit (Ykan) offices for questioning.

He was later released from custody and is expected to be summoned to court once scientific tests on the seized evidence are completed.