DRUG trafficking is being propped up higher and higher on the police’s agenda.
This can be surmised from the five-day seminar named ‘Combating Drug Trafficking’, which has been added to the ongoing drug crackdown which has seen more than 20kg of cannabis being confiscated by police and dozens of people arrested in 2008 alone.
The seminar was organised by the College of European Police (CEPOL) and Euromed II, with Cyprus as the chosen location.
Over 20 policemen participated, hailing from a total of nine countries including Egypt, Syria, Israel, the Palestinian Authorities and Lebanon, among others.
Speaking at the closing ceremony, Deputy Chief of Police Michael Papageorgiou said that the seminar included “presentations, workgroups, practical case studies, and provided a forum for the sharing of experiences and methods across country borders.”
CEPOL Euromed project manager Pierre Antonmattei expressed his “deepest gratitude to Cyprus,” saying that “the goal of the project is to create a network of professionals.”
He highlighted “the international dimensions of drug trafficking and its role in financing nuclear, biological and chemical terrorism.”
Finally, he appealed to participants “to disseminate what they’ve learned as widely as possible, and announced the launch of an intranet website to facilitate this.”
Speaking after the ceremony, Drug Squad (YKAN) Commander Charalambos Ioannou confirmed to the Mail that police were planning to introduce drug tests for drivers.
“Yes, we have plans for a Narcotest and the wheels have been set in motion for its implementation,” replied Drug Squad (YKAN) Commander Charalambos Ioannou.
“We are meeting with the State Laboratory on Tuesday to discuss matters pertaining to this issue,” such as what type of drugs we can test for.
“As for what type of punishments will be meted out to offenders, there is a possibility that they will be analogous to those suffered by those found to be over the Alcotest limit.”
A possible reason for this is that the police prioritise catching the drug suppliers rather than the drug users.
Deputy Chief Papageorgiou spoke of the legislation behind the Narcotest efforts:
“We have expounded our views to the legislators and what remains is the finalisation of the legislation and the vote of the House of Representatives.”
“The police are always keen to act within the legal framework,” he concluded.
