Cannabis found hidden in parcels at Larnaca airport
Large amounts of cannabis have been seized in Cyprus in July after customs officers uncovered drugs hidden in postal and courier parcels arriving at Larnaca airport.
According to an official statement from the department of customs, three separate drug seizures took place this month as part of joint operations with the Cyprus drug law enforcement unit (Ykan). The parcels had been sent from abroad and falsely declared as containing everyday items like clothing and gifts.
The first case occurred on July 7, when a customs officer at the Larnaca postal exchange centre inspected a parcel from the United States. It had been declared as containing a single cotton bathrobe. However, a risk assessment led to a physical search, which revealed 10 packages filled with dry green plant material. The contents tested positive for cannabis, weighing a total of 5.899 kilograms. YKAN officers were called to the scene and took over the investigation. The package was handed to them for further inquiries to identify the recipient.
A second seizure followed on July 14, this time during an X-ray scan of packages handled by a private courier company at the airport’s warehouse. Two parcels, one marked as a “leather jacket” and the other as a “bag,” were flagged for further inspection. Inside, customs officers found nylon bags filled with cannabis. The total weight was 5.592 kilograms. Again, the drugs were confirmed by Ykan testing and passed over for a full investigation.
The third incident took place on July 23, when a parcel labelled as a gift containing “baseball caps” was searched at the postal exchange centre. It was found to contain 579 grams of cannabis. Two days later, on July 25, Ykan officers arrested a 32-year-old man from Limassol who turned up to collect the package. He is now being investigated for drug offences.
Authorities say these seizures form part of ongoing efforts to block the illegal import of drugs into Cyprus.
Customs officials have been working closely with Ykan using risk analysis, X-rays, and physical checks to catch suspicious parcels before they reach their final destination. No further arrests have been confirmed in the first two cases. The investigations are ongoing.