Four suspects were remanded in custody for eight days on Sunday after Cyprus’s Drug Law Enforcement Unit seized 126kg and 630g of ketamine during an investigation into suspected organised drug trafficking.
The case began with information received by the unit about the alleged import and distribution of drugs from Israel to Cyprus using luxury yachts operating through marinas and ports in Larnaca and Limassol.
The four suspects — two Israeli and Palestinian couples — appeared before Limassol District Court on September 13, where police secured eight-day remand orders against all of them.
According to evidence presented in court, investigators were acting on information concerning a criminal group allegedly made up of Israelis and people of Arab origin, which was suspected of importing and distributing drugs from Israel to Cyprus.
The drugs were allegedly transported aboard luxury yachts using marinas and ports in Larnaca and Limassol.
Police told the court that the substances were concealed or disguised as construction materials and sanitary ware before being stored in homes and allegedly supplied to Israeli permanent residents of Cyprus.
According to the information under investigation, 70kg of cocaine and an unknown quantity of cannabis had arrived through Limassol port about a week earlier.
The same information suggested that the drugs had been hidden in homes linked to two of the suspects in Mouttagiaka and Ypsonas.
Investigators also referred to the alleged roles of a 50-year-old Palestinian man and a 53-year-old Israeli man in the suspected criminal organisation, as well as possible drug storage locations and vehicles allegedly used by the group.
Police obtained search warrants on September 10, 2026, covering homes, premises and vehicles.
During a search of the 53-year-old Israeli man’s home in Ypsonas, carried out in the presence of the suspect, his 51-year-old wife and a 50-year-old Palestinian man, officers found 34g of cocaine, 246.5g of ketamine, 15g of mephedrone, 12g of MDMA, €4,150 in cash, 42 packets of duty-free cigarettes, mobile phones and other evidence.
At a second home in Mouttagiaka, where the 50-year-old Palestinian man lives, police found 126kg and 630g of ketamine in the presence of the suspect and his 35-year-old wife.
The ketamine had been concealed inside paint containers, according to the evidence presented in court.
A precision scale, mobile phones and other items were also seized during the search and are expected to be examined as part of the investigation.
The four suspects were subsequently arrested on court warrants.
Police asked the court to remand them for eight days, and defence lawyers raised no objection.
The court approved the request and ordered all four suspects to remain in custody for eight days.
During the hearing, the court was told that the 35-year-old Palestinian woman is the mother of a minor child who is staying with his mother in suitable accommodation. Her lawyer said a decision was expected on how her case would proceed.
Preliminary inquiries indicated that the ketamine had been imported into Cyprus from a European country.
During initial questioning, the four suspects made certain claims which police said would be investigated. They are also expected to give formal statements in the presence of their lawyers.
The Drug Law Enforcement Unit’s investigation is continuing.
Police are expected to examine CCTV footage to establish the suspects’ movements and meetings and to identify any possible associates, as the original information referred to a criminal group.
Further searches are expected in two districts, while Interpol assistance is also anticipated because, according to the evidence gathered so far, the drugs appear to have arrived from a European country.
