Two jailed for drug offences

Limassol Criminal Court on Thursday handed down prison sentences to two men after finding them guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

The two men, aged 29 and 24, were given 10 years and eight years, respectively.

The 29-year-old had a prior.

In passing sentence, the court said it exercised leniency because the accused had cooperated with police throughout.

Possession of a Class A drug with intent to sell carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The maximum sentence for possession for personal use is 25 years.

The court accepted that the two men were moving the drugs on behalf of another person. They did not name the other person, claiming they feared for their lives.

The two were arrested on April 27 this year, following a sting operation in the village of Kantou in the Limassol district.

Acting on a tip, the drug squad stopped and searched a car, boarded by the two men. Inside, police found a bag containing three packets of cocaine, weighing 2kg in total.

Also on Thursday, Nicosia Criminal Court sentenced a 63-year-old man to 13 years behind bars. The man had been found guilty of possession of 16kg of cannabis.