A 68-year-old Greek Cypriot retiree accused in the largest haul of drug-laced paper ever seized in Cyprus, tried to flee to the occupied north on a moped — wearing a helmet and a surgical mask to avoid recognition — while on conditional bail, a Larnaca court heard on Wednesday.
Prosecutors told the court that on 21 February the defendant rode to the Deryneia checkpoint and presented a stolen identity card in an attempt to cross over. He was spotted and arrested, and a separate case was filed against him at Famagusta District Court in Paralimni.
The defendant appeared before the court on Wednesday, pleading not guilty to charges of importing a Class B controlled drug, conspiracy to commit a felony, unlawful supply of a controlled drug, unlawful possession of a controlled drug, and unlawful possession with intent to supply. The hearing was set for 26 May.
His lawyer opposed remand, citing an error in a court document regarding the date of the alleged offence. The court overruled him and ordered the defendant held in custody until the start of his trial.
The case centres on 994 A4 sheets of paper impregnated with drugs, seized during a joint operation by drug enforcement units YKAN and YDAP at the defendant’s Larnaca home on 13 January. Investigators said the sheets could have yielded around 300,000 doses on the street, with traffickers standing to make approximately €1.5 million — the largest such case YKAN has investigated.
The drug found on many of the sheets was the synthetic cannabinoid MDMB, a substance significantly more potent than cannabis that carries dangerous psychoactive effects for users.