Filenews 20 February 2026
The count of drugs found yesterday in two warehouses of a house in Strovolos, during a YKAN operation, has been completed, according to the latest information from the Police.
167 kilograms of cannabis, 62 kilograms of cocaine and 4.5 kilograms of cannabis resin were counted, which is the largest quantity ever detected in Cyprus.
11,640 firecrackers,
3 pistols (one dummy),
2 improvised explosive devices,
in addition to 30 firearm cartridges,
a sum of €13,500 was also seized
It is recalled that the large operation of YKAN took place in a warehouse in the province of Nicosia and as it turns out, it is taking very large dimensions.
In the warehouse there is also a sum of money, as well as explosives in the sense of the term, as it is used in the legislation.
We remind you that two arrests have already been made of persons aged 34 and 26.
The operation of YKAN, as we are informed, has been underway for days. Evaluating information, the members of the service monitored the last 24 hours.
Update - About 230.000 doses of drugs were "withdrawn from society", after last night's arrests of two persons for a case of drugs and weapons and the seizure of 233,5 kilograms of drugs, without however the arrested being considered the "masterminds" of the ring, said the Commander of the Anti-Drug Service (YKAN) Christos Andreou.
As he mentioned, the arrests were made as part of a YKAN operation that had been underway for days, following information held by the Service. Asked if other arrests will follow, he said that if testimony emerges, YKAN will proceed with further arrests, noting at the same time that investigations to identify other people involved continue.
Mr. Andreou added that the weapons found will be checked to see if they have been used in criminal acts in the past, while when asked if the country of origin of the drugs is known, he answered in the negative, noting that investigations are being carried out into "where they came from, who brought them and for whom they were intended".
He also clarified that the arrests are not related to cases of previous days, however he estimated that organized crime is behind the case.
The drugs were found as part of a YKAN operation in a residence in Strovolos yesterday.
Update - From what the YKAN examiner reported before the headquarters, it appears that an unknown man and a blonde woman aged around 50 are being sought. These two persons are said to be related to the suspects and participated in the transport of boxes of firecrackers.
CNA
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The Police made 10 arrests in relation to different offenses.
In a relevant announcement, it is stated that the presence and action of the Police last night was intense, throughout Cyprus, with organized patrols in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal actions, ensuring public order and increasing the sense of security of the public.
As a result of preventive policing operations, ten people were arrested for various offenses, including burglary and theft.
As part of these operations, during the night, 305 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 418 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 33 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, from which three complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 131 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while as part of the police examinations, five vehicles were detained.
Coordinated policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an increased/enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, with the aim of increasing the sense of security of citizens/protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
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The Police arrested the 37-year-old driver involved in the inconceivable tragedy that unfolded yesterday on the Nicosia-Limassol highway, where 70-year-old Savvas Ioannou from Paphos was dragged and killed, as he was placing cones.
Under circumstances that are being investigated, a 37-year-old saloon driver of a vehicle swept over signage cones and collided with a large bright flashing arrow, which was attached to a light truck.
As a result, Ioannou, who was engaged in unloading cones from the truck, was fatally wounded.
The 37-year-old driver was slightly injured, underwent alcohol and drug tests with negative results, and was arrested under a court warrant to facilitate investigations.
The Limassol Traffic Police continues the examinations.
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A robbery was committed on Thursday night in Nicosia, with the victim being a food distributor.
According to the Police, around 9:00 in the evening, the delivery man delivered an order to an apartment building in Engomi. On his way out of the apartment building, he was approached by three people. After offering him knives, they threatened him and asked him to hand over money and his mobile phone.
The food distributor handed them the amount of €150 and two mobile phones. According to what he reported to the Police, the three persons spoke in Greek.
The case is being investigated by the TAE of Nicosia.
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A new incident of juvenile delinquency has been investigated in recent days by the Ministries of Transport and Education. This time, students who were on a bus running from Polis Chrysochous to the Paphos Technical School allegedly threw a bottle of water at the driver, while the bus was in motion, with the obvious serious risk of an accident.
The incident, according to the complaints submitted, took place a few days ago during the transport of students from Polis Chrysochous and communities in the area to the Paphos Technical School where they study. While the Paphos Transport Organization bus was at the height of Tsada, eight students who were shouting and making a fuss inside the vehicle threw a bottle of water at the driver.
Although this action caught the driver by surprise, he managed to immobilize the vehicle without more serious consequences for the safety of the passengers and himself and then inform his superiors.
Relevant complaints were made to the Police, the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Education, while OSYPA decided to terminate the specific route until the perpetrators are identified and sanctions are imposed.
Today, however, and after contacts with the competent ministries and organized parents, it was decided to resume the route from next Tuesday, February 24, with a stern warning that it was the last chance given to those who break the law.
At the same time, both the Paphos Technical School and the parents of the students who were deemed to be involved in the incident have been informed about the incident and the identity of the perpetrators.
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A 48-year-old man with Cypriot citizenship and a 27-year-old man from Palestine, who were arrested when horrific videos of torture of 6 people were found on the former's mobile phones in an office of an illegal casino in Pyla, were brought to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca that will meet on April 27. It is noted that the 48-year-old, who is alleged to be a member of an organized crime group, is also on trial for the unprecedented episode of fighting and shooting in the center of Larnaca on January 17, as well as for the beating of a citizen in an outdoor area in Pyla, a few hours earlier.
The two face very serious charges, with those of the indicted being more. The charges relate to conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, illegal possession and transfer of a firearm, offences arising from the Convention against Torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, abduction or abduction with the intention of subjecting a person to grievous harm, abduction or abduction or deprivation of liberty of a person for the purpose of covert and unjust restriction, Acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, failure to prevent a felony, assault causing actual bodily harm, common assault, carrying a knife, possession of an offensive weapon, carrying a weapon to incite terror, participation in a criminal organization, threat.
In addition, the 48-year-old is accused of provoking the execution of a document and refusing to provide measurements (DNA). It is noted that another person is wanted for the case, who was allegedly involved in the shooting incident. The torture took place on various dates between June 8 and September 19, 2025. They came to light when the 48-year-old was arrested for the shooting incident. Videos were found on his mobile phones, which, according to the Police, revealed the torture of six people. It is noted that it was initially estimated that the victims were 7, however, testimony was obtained that showed that there were 6 in the end, with one person being abused on two different dates. As it was established, the victims were three Cypriots and three foreigners and were allegedly brutally beaten in order to either "confess" allegedly criminal actions against the 48-year-old, or to pay money they owed to others.
The investigators of the Larnaca Police Department identified 4 of the 6 persons, with one of them (3rd victim) verbally stating that he transferred his vehicle, signing a transfer form to a third person "under the regime of fear and threat". In addition, a statement was taken from the fifth victim who identified himself in the videos, as well as the first suspect (48-year-old). As it was told in court, the sixth victim was also identified, who stated that he is abroad, while the fourth victim was also located and a statement was taken. It was also found, according to the Police, that the fourth victim went for a medical examination to the Nicosia hospital after the abuse he had suffered.
