One remanded, two sought after drugs sting

A MAN was remanded for eight days yesterday after being arrested during a police sting operation in which 20 kilos of cannabis were seized in the Paphos village of Archimandrita on Friday night.

The Paphos district court also issued an arrest warrant for an employee of the Paphos Post Office who is believed to be involved. The two suspects who managed to escape are wanted by police.

Police believe the gang supplies close to 90 per cent of the drugs in Paphos.

Superintendant Stelios Sergides said: “After a tip, the Drug Squad (YKAN) conducted surveillance on three crates which had just arrived from Athens to Larnaca Airport. The crates where then transferred to the Paphos Post office where they were picked up by one individual.” Sergides said that the individual then met up with two accomplices who drove to a deserted part of Paphos.

Sergides said when officers intervened, one man escaped on foot through a wooded area, while the other two tried to flee in their car. A chase led to a crash with a police car. Shots were also fired by officers. One man was arrested, another escaped.

Newly appointed YKAN Commander Gavriel Gavriel said: “I expect that the two men who escaped will be arrested shortly as they are well known to Police in Paphos and have had previous multiple drug related arrests.”  Gavriel says that police are still investigating and that he expects that more than the three people wanted so far will be arrested in the next few days. Gavriel said that he wants to completely eliminate all traces of the gang and that the operation was a huge success for YKAN.

Justice Minister Lukas Louka also praised YKAN and said that this was a huge success for YKAN who have struck a massive blow to the dealers of white death that plague our island.

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