Eight years for drug dealer

A 40-year-old man was on Thursday sentenced to eight years in jail after being found guilty of possession of one kilo of cocaine with intent to sell.

The case dates back to April of this year. On April 7, and acting on a tip, the Drug Squad waved down a car they were monitoring in Paphos district. Driving the vehicle was the 40-year-old.

The man disregarded the police and fled the scene. A chase ensued, during which the occupants in the vehicle – the man and a passenger, aged 44 – were seen throwing items out of the car.

Among the items discarded was a plastic package, later found to contain about 1.1kg of cocaine.

The same car was spotted later in the day by police in Nicosia. The driver was a 29-year-old. Trailing his car was a second vehicle, driven by a 25-year-old man.

Both were arrested on suspicion of being accessories after the fact, and detained. On April 8, police found and arrested the two men who had fled the previous day.