Filenews 18 August 2025 - by Michalis Hadjivasilis
Terrible quantities of drugs were detected this year by the Drug Enforcement Agency, with the data so far showing that it will surpass any precedent.
The detection and confiscation of tens of kilos of cannabis, mainly cannabis, is now a daily phenomenon. It is indicative that while the report was being prepared and the quantities for this year amounted to 564 kilos, by its completion, another 24 kilos of cannabis were found in the possession of an American woman, which raised the total quantities by August 11 to 588 kilos. When last year, the whole of 2024, which was a record year with seizures that reached 618 kilograms of cannabis, this year, one wonders how far the quantities will go. It is now proven beyond reasonable doubt that cannabis has been established as the main drug marketed, while it should be noted that these quantities are the ones that are detected. No one knows what the actual number of kilos is illegally imported into Cyprus.
The quantities of cocaine detected in 2025 are also increased, since so far they have reached 39 kilograms compared to 24 in 2023 and 54 in 2024. The Ministry of Health has now readjusted its operations depending on where the illegal circuits direct the way and methods of importing illegal substances. However, 1/3 of the drugs seem to be attempted to be imported from Larnaca airport and the Combat Service in cooperation with the Customs Department have shown very good results.
Illegals, on the other hand, without direct involvement, find suspected individuals from the country of dispatch to transport them, reducing the chances of them being detected. However, either through cooperation with the authorities of other countries, or through information, the Ministry of Transport manages to identify large quantities before they end up from the distribution network to users. Very recently, a quantity of cannabis was detected in cereal packages, which shows that the Service has ways to discover the new methods of the circuits they use to inject thousands of doses into our country.
Apart from the airports (the main one being Larnaca), another gateway for drugs is the courier companies and the post office. There is close cooperation with these companies and the post office, so that when it is found that something suspicious is happening, the Ministry of Transport and Tourism is notified to intervene. Also, the Service monitors suspicious persons and when it appears that they may be involved in the receipt of drugs, then proceeds to the arrest of those involved.
What is of great concern to the authorities is the involvement of increasingly younger people in cases of drug possession and trafficking. Young people aged 19-21 are intercepted and in their possession quantities are found that can send them to prison for 8-10 years. However, they defy the risks that in doing so they will ruin their lives at the most critical stage of their age. Also, the involvement of students in drugs is increased, since cases involving students are often of great concern to the Ministry of Education. It is for this reason that every year more than 150 – 200 young people or their family environment are sent to therapeutic or counselling programs for guidance.
According to the governor of the Ministry of Transport, Christos Andreou, in addition to surveillance and controls at airports, very often operations are carried out in city centers, where it is believed that drug contraband is taking place. As an example, Mr. Andreou cited last Saturday, where operations were carried out in Nicosia, Limassol and Larnaca during which 22 kilograms of cannabis were confiscated, while a cannabis plantation was also found on the roof of a house, something that has not been done for several years. Also, as he said, with the latest case with drugs in cereals, it seems that the traffickers are trying in various ways and actions to deceive the authorities, but they know things and situations, which is why they were detected before reaching the users.
As the commander of the Anti-Narcotics Service told "F", "we focus our attention on the routes through which the importation of drugs is attempted (airports, ports and parcel transport companies), contacts are made and where there is a need the Ministry of Transport intervenes. At the same time, Mr. Andreou said that many of those arrested are the large drug dealers who often employ the Service, which is why he stressed that it is important for these persons to leave the market in order to reduce the quantities imported.
As for the large quantities of drugs that have been imported in recent years, while in the past smugglers did not take so much risk, this is attributed by the authorities to the financial ability of the rings and to the fact that they wish to make a large profit by importing, rather than risking importing smaller quantities with the risk of being exposed more frequently.
Drugs with numbers
This year, 584 kilograms of cannabis, one kilogram and 486g of cannabis were detected. cannabis resin, 50 cannabis plants, 30 kg and 482g. cocaine, 542g. methamphetamine, 768g. ecstasy, 2380 packs of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol), 30 cannabinol (CBN) tablets, 679 tramatol tablets and various doping substances, which indicates that they are used by athletes.
In 2023, 544 kilograms of cannabis were detected, in 2024 another 617 kilograms. Also, in 2023, 1095 cases were examined, in which the persons involved amounted to 1151 and in 2024 another 1075 with 1147 involved. So far this year, about 700 cases have been investigated with the same number of involved.
Particular emphasis on prevention
An important area for the YKAN, apart from drug detection operations, is that of prevention.
According to Mr. Andreou, social intervention officers of the YKAN had meetings this year with over 120 people served/users of addictive substances and from their family/supportive environment. Most of them were referred to various treatment programs. Most of the referrals were made to Limassol, followed by Nicosia, Paphos, Larnaca and Famagusta, with the last being the Morphou district.
At the same time, the Prevention Office of the Ministry of Health undertakes the planning and implementation of universal prevention actions and events, as well as focused prevention on vulnerable groups of the population, mainly in the National Guard and secondary school students, such as the Technical School and the preparatory apprenticeship.
The actions aim to inform and raise awareness among students on the issue, as well as to empower them by developing important life skills and adopting healthy choices. In addition, the Prevention Office implements special programs, which are aimed at parents, aimed at supporting them in the development of important skills, such as conflict management, agreeing boundaries and strengthening children's self-confidence.
