Prison officers seize meth in straws

Police say two prison visitors were arrested Thursday on drug possession charges after they were suspected of attempting to smuggle drugs into jail.

According to a police statement, two foreign nationals aged 31 and 36, went to Paphos Police Headquarters to visit a person who was being detained. The two suspects, described as a man and a woman from the same European country, made the visit late at night around 10:50pm and proceeded to undergo a security check.

During a search of their belongings, security officers found a nylon bag with several items that belonged to the woman, including four straws which contained what appeared to be a crystal substance weighing about two grams.

Officers, who suspected the substance was crystal meth, notified members of the drug squad unit, who came and searched the couple’s vehicle. Police said they found another straw with a similar substance believed to be about half a gram of crystal meth.

Police said some of the meth was found along with items destined for the detainee, but it was not specified whether the total quantity exceeded the assigned limit for personal use.

Both suspects were detained on drug possession charges while the Drug Squad in Paphos is investigating the case.

Snorting meth produces a long-lasting high as opposed to the quick rush that someone gets from smoking or injecting the drug. Within a few minutes of snorting the drug, it produces an energetic euphoria that can last from a few hours to half a day.

In recent years, data on people who seek drug rehabilitation in Cyprus show an increase in treatment demands for primary use of methamphetamine, while cannabis remains the most commonly used illicit drug among the general population in Cyprus.