Newsroom
Authorities uncovered sheets of paper soaked in a banned substance, believed to be drugs, during a routine but intensified security check at Cyprus’ Central Prisons, leading to the arrest of a 40-year-old man from Nicosia.
The man was stopped and searched while visiting a female inmate who is serving a sentence for homicide. Prison officers discovered the suspicious papers during a physical inspection, part of strict and detailed checks now being carried out under direct instructions from the Minister of Justice and Public Order.
Members of the Drug Law Enforcement Unit were called to the scene and took the man into custody. Follow-up searches were carried out at his vehicle and home. Police found 14 grams of dried cannabis and two grams of cocaine inside his car. No illegal items were found at his residence.
While authorities did not go into detail about the intended use of the papers, drug-soaked sheets are commonly used to smuggle narcotics into prisons, as they can be easily concealed and later consumed or smoked after being cut into small pieces.
Officials said the incident is part of a broader zero-tolerance policy now in force at the Central Prisons, aimed at preventing drugs and other prohibited items from entering the facility. The Justice Ministry has ordered intensified and exhaustive checks, with authorities stressing that inspections will continue with even greater intensity in the coming period.
The case is under investigation.
