The Police and the Narcotics Law Enforcement Department (YKAN) have sounded the alarm, after authorities detected four new types of drugs in recent weeks and recorded a doubling in the quantities of cocaine seized this year compared with last.
It is clear that new drugs are appearing in Cyprus at an accelerating pace. Yet, the recent major seizures, according to a Phileleftheros report, at least show that the authorities are intervening effectively. Drugs are being located, confiscated, and those involved arrested.
Many cases are now in the public eye. But it is obvious that far more drugs circulate in society than are detected. It is simply not possible for YKAN to locate everything. Even so, the agency is making a major effort, with very good results. According to YKAN Commander Christos Andreou, in recent days over thirty kilograms of opium poppies and kief were seized, and ten individuals were arrested in Nicosia, Limassol, and Famagusta; they remain in custody.
The figures, presented on Wednesday during a press conference at the Police Headquarters covering YKAN’s activities and results for the first half of two thousand and twenty-six, again signal a serious alert.
Officials highlighted that the fight against drugs extends to the ringleaders and the major crime bosses. Beyond arrests and drug seizures, as Commander Andreou noted, particular importance lies in the financial blow inflicted on organised crime and drug traffickers. YKAN’s action is therefore not limited to preventing the distribution of narcotics, but also extends to identifying and seizing illicit revenues and property generated by these activities.
The refrain is always the same when discussing the steadily growing drug problem: we must all try to address it. Easy to say, hard to achieve. Yet the efforts must be systematic and methodical, led primarily by the responsible authorities.
The battle is far from lost. In these cases, recognising the problem and its scale is crucial. Once this is done, the work of the prevention and enforcement mechanisms is significantly facilitated
