Appeals court upholds eight-year sentence for drug dealer targeting minors

The Cyprus Court of Appeal has unanimously rejected an appeal filed by the Attorney General, upholding the eight-year prison sentence imposed on a 27-year-old man for supplying methamphetamine to minors in Limassol. The defendant had pleaded guilty to one count of possessing 0.08 grams of methamphetamine and 13 counts of supplying the drug to four minors, aged 12 to 15, over a period starting in 2022.

The case gained attention due to the perpetrator's attempt to recruit the children as accomplices to expand drug sales. While the Attorney General argued the initial sentence was insufficient given the gravity of the crimes, the appellate judges ruled that the original eight-year term was appropriate. The court noted that it could not increase the sentence based on alleged activities that were not part of the formal conviction. Mitigating factors included the defendant's lack of a prior criminal record and his own history as a substance user.

The investigation into these activities began in April 2022, following a report from a minor seeking rehabilitation. The court emphasized that the ruling reflects the severity of exploiting children for criminal purposes while adhering to legal requirements regarding conviction evidence.