Trial for massive cocaine haul next month

A 44-year-old man held in connection with the discovery of around 142 kilos of cocaine in two generators in Limassol was on Tuesday referred to trial before the Criminal Court.

The court will convene on September 21. The suspect will remain in custody until then.

The net weight of the cocaine is 142kilos and 162 grammes, the court heard, with a purity of 84 per cent.

The 44-year-old Cypriot is the director of the company which imported the electrical generators and commissioned the warehouse in which they were stored.

The cocaine was found on August 4 inside secret compartments in the fuel tanks of two generators stored in a bonded warehouse near Limassol port.

The suspect denies any knowledge, claiming he had suspected something was amiss with the cargo as the generators in question would not work in this part of the world without modifications.

According to his lawyer, the 44-year-old has written a letter directly to the police chief stating his willingness to fully cooperate with authorities.

Authorities are seeking a 44-year-old Ukrainian national, currently abroad, in connection with the case.

Prosecutors asked the court to remand the suspect in custody until his trial, arguing that the offences were serious and he might try to flee abroad, where he lives permanently.

His defence objected, stressing that the suspect had returned to Cyprus willingly after the drugs were found, and had put himself at the disposal of the authorities investigating the case.

His lawyer said despite living abroad, the rest of his family was in Cyprus and “he did everything an honest man could do to help resolve the case.” He claimed that his client had fallen victim to the drug dealers.

The court decided to remand the suspect in custody, citing, among others, the fact that he had suspicions regarding the drugs but he failed to tell the authorities after he was threatened.