A 28-year-old Greek Cypriot man has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison after being convicted of possessing 23kg of cannabis with intent to supply, Sovereign Base authorities said on Friday.

The sentence was handed down on Wednesday by the Sovereign Base Areas court following the man’s arrest in December during a joint operation by SBA police and the Cyprus police drug squad.

The man was stopped in his vehicle in Trachoni during a coordinated raid and found with 23kg of cannabis, 250g of a substance believed to be cocaine, and 26g of suspected crystal meth.

Following sentencing, he was transferred to the Dhekelia prison.

SBA police superintendent Melina Papagregoriou said drug trafficking causes significant harm to communities and stressed that authorities remain committed to tackling such offences.

She said police would continue pursuing those involved in drug-related crime with a robust and uncompromising approach.