The quantities of drugs of all kinds identified by YKAN this year exceeded a thousand kilos in total, with the main element being the emergence of new drugs as opposed to the reduction of cannabis.
For the first year, there is a clear preference for synthetic drugs, although cannabis remains in first demand. However, this year, drugs appeared that in previous years were non-existent or were found in small quantities. Ketamine, captagon pills, "pinaca" papers impregnated with cannabis and poppy, are the new drugs that appeared in the Cypriot "market".
At the same time, looking at the data and comparing them with those of 2025, there is a clear sharp decrease in the quantities of cannabis detected this year with a parallel increase in cocaine. It is obvious that our country is entering the era of synthetic drugs, with users turning to other types besides cannabis. The recent statement of the Chief of Police, Themistos Arnaoutis, that "we are in a continuous war against drugs", is characteristic, since over 1,200 persons are identified every year in relation to possession or trafficking.
This year, until October 26, 900 drug cases have been investigated and 1,029 persons are involved, of which 543 are Cypriots and 486 are foreigners. During this time, 395 kg and 37 g have been identified. of cannabis compared to 814 kg last year, i.e. a 50% decrease in the quantities seized this year. At the same time, in '26, 48 kilograms of cannabis resin were confiscated compared to one kilogram in '25. In cocaine now, there is an opposite picture, since this year 82 kilos have been detected compared to 52 last year. This increase is of particular concern to the Anti-Narcotics Agency, which is why it is analyzing the cases and especially where these quantities were destined.
What changed the drug map this year is the detection in three doses of 417 kilograms of ketamine, a substance almost unknown in our country. The information may indicate that the final destination may have been Israel due to the involvement of Israelis, however, their discovery in Cyprus does not rule anything out. It should be noted that last year only 3g were detected. of that substance, which shows that it was completely unknown to users. The quantities of heroin detected to date, fortunately, remain very small, while methamphetamine is at the same levels as last year, since in '26 5.2 kilos were detected while last year 5.5 kilos.
Another substance that made its appearance "officially" this year is papers impregnated with a type of cannabis, the so-called "pinaca". A kilogram and 507g were confiscated. plus 993 sheets of A4 paper which contained about 300 doses of each glue. Last year, no such substances were detected. Also, the 699g. psilocybin, better known as "mushrooms", is an unknown substance by Cypriot standards. As for captagons, the pills of the jihadists as mentioned, this year we had a record seizure with 1,211 tablets compared to only 68 tablets last year. Finally, the 6 kg and 188g. Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) complete a powerful puzzle of synthetic drugs aimed mainly at young users, with ages constantly decreasing with extremely worrying effects.
As pointed out to "F" by a YKAN agent, it is not only the quantities that are increasing that are worrying, but also the fact that more and more new types of drugs are being attempted to be imported into our country. All this brings the Combat Service to alert, which is fighting a relentless struggle to prevent significant quantities of unpredictable proportions from reaching the roads. Already, YKAN has recently joined under the umbrella of the newly established Directorate for Combating Organized Crime under its director Christos Andreou, giving daily battles in the war against drugs.
