Cyprus’ drug enforcement authorities are facing a shifting and more dangerous trafficking landscape, with cocaine seizures rising sharply and several new substances appearing in recent police operations.
Figures presented by the Cyprus Police Drug Law Enforcement Unit, known as YCAN, show that 71.5kg of cocaine was seized in the first half of 2026, compared with 30.2kg during the same period last year. The increase, of more than 130%, comes as police report the first large seizures of opium poppy, Captagon, synthetic cannabinoids and liquid cocaine on the island.
The data was presented on Wednesday at a press conference at Police Headquarters, attended by Police Chief Themistos Arnaoutis, Deputy Police Chief Panikos Stavrou, YCAN Commander Christos Andreou and Police Spokesman Vyron Vyronos. The briefing covered YCAN’s work in the first half of the year, as well as recent cases involving new types of narcotics.
Mr Arnaoutis said the fight against drugs remains one of the Police’s top operational priorities, describing it as an issue that affects not only public safety, but also public health, young people and social cohesion.
He said drug trafficking remains one of the main sources of funding for serious and organised crime internationally, adding that police are not only targeting traffickers but also seeking to dismantle wider criminal networks by following both the drugs and the money.
Cocaine seizures rise sharply
According to YCAN’s figures, cocaine seizures reached 71.5kg in the first half of 2026, up from 30.2kg in the same period of 2025. Methamphetamine seizures also exceeded 2.3kg.
A particularly sharp increase was recorded in cannabis resin, with more than 47.5kg seized so far this year, compared with just 583g in the corresponding period last year.
Cannabis seizures were lower than in 2025, falling to 244kg from 511kg, but the quantities remain high. Mr Andreou said cannabis continues to be the most widely used illegal drug in Cyprus.
By June 22, YCAN had investigated 539 drug-related cases in 2026.
Police are also pursuing the financial side of drug trafficking. Mr Andreou said YCAN works closely with the Unit for Combating Money Laundering to trace, freeze and confiscate assets linked to illegal drug proceeds. From 2020 to the end of 2025, assets worth more than €2.5 million were frozen or confiscated, including more than €1 million in 2025 alone.
New substances raise concern
Mr Andreou said the appearance of new substances in the Cypriot market is causing serious concern, particularly because some are relatively new in Europe and their health effects are not yet fully understood.
During the first half of the year, authorities seized for the first time 1.5kg and 993 A4 sheets impregnated with the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB-4EN-PINACA, 1,121 Captagon tablets, 31.5kg of opium poppy and 1kg of kief, a cannabis product with a high THC content.
“We are increasingly seeing harder drugs, which have much more serious effects on the human body than traditional drugs,” Mr Andreou said.
Referring to the opium poppy case, he said YCAN is trying to stop the phenomenon before it spreads further.
“We identified it very recently, including through social media, and we have already begun action to locate it,” he said. “All YCAN members across Cyprus are carrying out operations so that we can stop this phenomenon now, while it is still at the beginning.”
Over the past few days, police seized more than 30kg of opium poppy and kief and arrested ten people in Nicosia, Limassol and Famagusta. All remain in custody.
Liquid cocaine case
Authorities are also concerned by the discovery of liquid cocaine with a total gross weight of 4kg, in a case revealed on Tuesday.
Mr Andreou said it was the first time police had located this type of drug in such a quantity in Cyprus. “The way it was imported certainly concerns us,” he said.
Deputy Police Chief Panikos Stavrou said the purity of the substance was around 97%. He warned that the quantity could be diluted and increased significantly before reaching the street market.
“What concerns us is that this quantity could easily be turned from four kilos into twelve kilos,” he said.
Import routes under scrutiny
Asked how drugs are entering Cyprus, Mr Andreou said the vast majority are imported from abroad through airports, ports, containers and courier companies.
He said Cyprus is not considered a drug-producing country, apart from isolated small-scale cases. YCAN works closely with the Customs Department and courier companies to detect suspicious shipments and gather intelligence.
Mr Arnaoutis said police continuously adapt their operations as criminal methods evolve.
“As crime evolves, we also evolve as a service,” he said. “Our actions are targeted, depending on where the criminal activity is identified.”
Police officials were also asked whether investigations are reaching the people directing the networks, rather than only those arrested during initial operations. Mr Andreou said several investigations are still ongoing, but added that in some cases police have identified the people behind the networks.
He said the first arrests and remand orders are often only the beginning of wider investigations.
A wider social challenge
Police also referred to wider trends monitored by Europol, including “crime as a service” and “violence as a service”, where criminal networks recruit individuals, including minors, through social media to carry out illegal acts.
Mr Arnaoutis said similar cases have been recorded in Cyprus, although not on the scale seen in some northern European countries.
Mr Andreou stressed that tackling drugs is not solely a police matter, but a responsibility shared by society as a whole. He called on parents, teachers and local communities to help with prevention and early identification of risks linked to drug use and trafficking.
He said YCAN would continue its operations with determination, aiming to seize drugs, arrest those involved and bring suspects before justice.
Mr Arnaoutis said the fight against drugs and organised crime would continue with planning, professionalism and consistency, with the aim of keeping Cyprus safe for all residents.
Source: CNA
