Drug suspect escapes police chase

POLICE were searching for a drugs suspect who managed to escape after a car chase in Nicosia on Tuesday night, a court heard yesterday.

A second man, suspected of being the man’s accomplice, was remanded in custody for eight days in connection with possession and intent to supply around 238 grams of heroin.

Farhad Badri from Iran was arrested near MacDonald’s on Athalassa Avenue at around 8pm, police said.

He is suspected of acting as a lookout for Omid Golbande Nazef, also from Iran, who managed to escape after crashing into two police cars.

Police had the two suspects under surveillance but when they tried to intercept Nazef’s car, he hit the patrol car and headed down Athalassa Avenue in the direction of the Nicosia Police District Headquarters.

Police managed to catch up with him, but the suspect rear-ended the patrol car before his vehicle came to a halt, 500 metres from the point of the collision.

He abandoned the car and managed to get away, leaving three plastic bags containing 238.5 grams of heroin along the way, the court heard.

His alleged accomplice was questioned by the drug squad, but refused to co-operate, police said.

However, from documents found on him, it was determined that he had arrived on the island through the occupied areas at the end of last October.

The man who escaped lived in Limassol, police told the court.

Investigator Charalambos Stylianou said they were planning to search two specific houses in Limassol where they suspected large quantities of heroin were stashed.

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