Paphos man sentenced to 17 years for drug trafficking

On September 28, 2026, the Assize Court in Paphos sentenced a 56-year-old man to 17 years in prison for the possession of controlled substances with the intent to supply. The conviction follows a targeted operation by the Drug Law Enforcement Unit (YKAN), which began when officers placed the suspect under surveillance.

On February 19, 2025, authorities observed the man digging in a field in the Paphos district. Upon stopping him for a check, police discovered approximately one kilogram of cannabis in his possession. A subsequent search of the area revealed a buried water tank containing an additional 29 packages of cannabis. In total, law enforcement seized 37 kilograms and 451 grams of the drug, effectively preventing its distribution in the market.

Separately, in an unrelated case previously reported by authorities, the Limassol Court of Appeal recently upheld an eight-year prison sentence for another individual involved in drug trafficking, following an investigation that began in May 2021 after police received information regarding large-scale distribution operations in Limassol, specifically near Kato Polemidia and the Ampelones area.