Man jailed for drug possession

A LARNACA man was yesterday sentenced to three years in prison for possessing 1.2 kilos of hashish.

A three-judge criminal court, sitting in Larnaca, passed sentence against 23-year-old Lazaros Lazarides, who had been arrested during a police sting operation last November.

On November 3, 1998, drug squad officers caught Lazarides with 1.27 kilos of hash in a supermarket car park following a tip-off about a suspected drug deal.

At the time of his arrest, Lazarides named two other people who were involved in the deal: Panayiotis Solomou, 28, from Larnaca and 36-year-old Greek national Ioannis Paretzoglou.

The two had earlier been arrested after a car chase on a Larnaca beach.

Police found around 1.21 kilos of hashish in their car.

Paretzoglou and Solomou were jailed for five and four years respectively on drug related charges.

Passing sentence, the court took into account the assistance given to police by Lazarides and the fact that he was a drug user seeking rehabilitation.

Nevertheless, the court said that drug crime was one of the most serious that society faced and Lazarides must pay the penalty for his involvement.

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