A 22-year-old man was remanded in custody for eight days on Friday after police seized nearly 6.6 kilograms of cannabis in Nicosia. The operation by the Anti-Drugs Unit (YKAN) and the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime (DAOE) began with a parcel from the United States and also led to the brief arrest of a taxi driver, Phileleftheros understands.
Nicosia District Court approved the police request to hold the suspect, who is being investigated for illegal importation, possession of cannabis with intent to supply, conspiracy to commit a felony and money laundering. His lawyer, Nikos Koromias, did not object.
Police stopped the 22-year-old’s car in Engomi on Thursday and found about 3.94 kilograms of cannabis inside. They also found 4,330 euros on him and seized five mobile phones from the car.
Investigators are trying to establish who called the taxi to collect the parcel and whether anyone else is involved. They are also examining the details of the sender in the United States and whether the suspect is linked to earlier drug shipments to Cyprus. They expect to take about 20 statements and examine CCTV footage to trace possible accomplices or buyers.
Controlled delivery
According to Phileleftheros’s information, the case began on 26 October, when cannabis with a gross weight of about 2.66 kilograms was found in a parcel that arrived from the United States through a courier company in Nicosia. The authorities replaced the drugs with dummies and set up a controlled delivery to track the parcel and identify whoever collected it.
The same day, an undercover officer posing as a delivery driver phoned the alleged recipient. The man, who spoke Greek, said he was at work and could not take delivery. He allegedly asked for the parcel to be left at a spot behind the car park of a block of flats, saying his wife would collect it when she finished work.
As the delivery was being arranged, surveillance officers saw a car moving suspiciously near the building. It entered the car park, circled the complex and left, then followed the officer when he drove away. When the officer stopped at a pharmacy, he saw the car’s driver walking towards it on foot. He then drove off and was no longer followed.
Further calls and text messages followed. At around 3.30pm, the alleged recipient messaged that his wife would arrive a little earlier and asked for the parcel to be left inside the building if the door was open. Surveillance officers found both entrances locked. Contact continued, but the delivery could not be made, and the officer told the man the parcel had been taken back to the courier’s offices.
No one came to collect it there the next day. After another phone call with the alleged recipient, a second delivery was arranged for 29 October.
On Thursday morning, the officer set out with the parcel again, and surveillance officers spotted the suspicious car near the building once more. The alleged recipient said he was still at work and would be there until the evening. He then sent a message asking for the parcel to be left “in the car park behind the water tank” or inside the building, adding that he and his wife finished work at seven.
The officer left the parcel near a large water tank in the car park, which was under constant police surveillance. When he tried to contact the alleged recipient again, the man’s phone was switched off.
Taxi driver arrested and released
Shortly after 1pm, a taxi drove into the car park instead and headed towards the parcel. The driver, aged about 60, parked nearby, got out and walked towards it while talking on the phone.
When he picked up the parcel, an officer approached, identified himself and explained why he was there. The driver said he worked for Bolt as a taxi driver, adding: “I came to collect a package.” He was arrested in the act for illegal possession of a Class B controlled drug and, when cautioned, allegedly replied: “I don’t know anything.”
He was questioned and his home was searched, but nothing emerged against him and no illegal items were found, and he was released.
Car stopped in Engomi
Meanwhile, police again spotted the car that had followed the officer and stopped it in Engomi at around 1.30pm.
Officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from inside. A search found three plastic packets on the front passenger-side mat, containing cannabis with a gross weight of about 100 grams. Elsewhere in the car, officers found cannabis with a gross weight of about 1,836 grams, along with four airtight packages containing two kilograms.
The suspect was taken to YKAN’s offices, where he made various claims during oral questioning. His home was searched, but nothing illegal was found.
