The quantities of drugs seized by the competent service are increasing year by year and the arrests of persons have become a daily phenomenon.

Characteristic of the situation is that in the first quarter of this year, quantities equal to 1/3 of those detected throughout 2024 have been seized, which was a year with unprecedented seizures, since a total of 723 kilograms of all kinds of drugs were seized. The continuous increase in the quantities of drugs found in our country is attributed primarily to the increased demand and the extent to which widespread use, mainly cannabis, is taking place, followed by cocaine and synthetic drugs. It is also estimated that illegal circuits that lose loads because they are confiscated, attempt to import others to make up for lost ground.

The worst thing that the Anti-Drug Agency finds is that younger and younger people are involved in drug smuggling, i.e. they are not limited to use. As it emerges from the data, young children aged 22-23 are arrested for trafficking mainly cannabis for quite large quantities.

The main gateway for drugs remains Larnaca Airport, where smugglers lease boats for a fee to transport heavy debris, mainly cannabis or cocaine, avoiding exposure themselves. Recently, two foreign women were caught in two consecutive cases who were recruited by traffickers to carry a total of more than 70 kilograms of cannabis in their luggage. The risk they took is too great compared to their remuneration, however, the Ministry of Customs together with the Customs Department managed to locate them and prevent these quantities from being channelled into the streets.

284 cases this year

This year, according to the data of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 284 cases were investigated until April 7 with 278 involved, of which 170 were Cypriots and 108 foreigners.

As far as seizures are concerned, cannabis amounted to 228 kilograms, another 2.5 kilograms of cocaine, 10 cannabis plants, 170 grams of cannabis resin, 67 grams of psilocybin, 313 grams of methamphetamine, 11 pieces of LSD, 270 tablets of tramadol and small quantities for various other drugs. Also, just last Friday, 700gr. a medicinal preparation imported from abroad that contained cannabis.

As the commander of the Anti-Narcotics Service, Christos Andreou, told "F", 1/3 of the drugs detected last year were attempted to be imported through Larnaca airport, while the rest through courier companies and the post office. For this reason, he said, "we are focusing our attention on these routes, contacts are made with the heads of such offices, so that better checks can be carried out and where suspicion arises, the Ministry of Health should be informed". At the same time, Mr. Andreou said that as a Service, targeted operations have begun in "outbreaks" where drug use or trafficking is observed. Recently, such an operation was carried out in Limassol with the involvement of other Police Services and others will follow.

As its governor stressed, the YKAN also attaches great importance to prevention, with the competent office evaluating dozens of cases of young people involved in drugs, referring them to rehabilitation programs and, at the same time, helping their supportive environment on how to help their children. The Agency attaches particular importance to the information transmitted by drug-sensitive citizens, which it investigates in an effort to cross-check and obtain results.

In 2023, 1,095 drug-related cases were examined, with 1,151 of those involved, of which 689 Cypriots and 462 foreigners, while in 2024, another 1,075 cases involving 1,147 persons, of which 684 Cypriots and 463 foreigners.

The seizures were for 2023 at 544 kg of cannabis and in 2024 they amounted to 616, while as far as cocaine is concerned, in '23 we had seizures of 24.6 kg and in '24 at 54 kg. As for ecstasy, 1,753 tablets were seized in 2023, while last year 696.

For the first time in 2024, 34 kg of the drug cathin and 29 kg of HAC (hexahydrocannabinol) were detected and seized on the Cypriot market. Last year, 5,857 tramadol tablets were also seized, compared to 705 in 2023.