Investigations by the Anti-Drug and Money Laundering Unit (YKAN) into a large quantity of ketamine discovered last week in Limassol remain in full progress, with police bringing three suspects back before the court while a woman previously held in the case has been released.
Case now totals almost 390kg
The case now involves close to 390kg of ketamine in total, along with smaller quantities of other narcotics. Three people remain in custody: a 50-year-old Palestinian man and an Israeli couple, aged 53 and 51, whose detention has been extended by eight days.
Second warehouse identified
According to police, YKAN's investigation led to the discovery of a further large quantity of ketamine at a separate warehouse near Limassol port. Police say this warehouse was identified after the 50-year-old man directed investigators to it as the location from which he had collected the first shipments. Officers reportedly found the remaining 263kg on an import pallet, in the same type of packaging as earlier seized quantities. According to police, the shipment documentation bore the 50-year-old man's details and address, and he is alleged to be the person who received the goods from the first two consignments.
Police say the first two consignments arrived in Cyprus on 22 July 2026 and 12 August 2026, while the third and largest, the 263kg shipment, arrived on 9 September 2026. According to investigators, the man's movements collecting the first two consignments were also captured on CCTV.
Suspect allegedly promised €5,000
Under questioning, the 50-year-old man initially denied any involvement, police say, but later allegedly admitted knowing that drugs were hidden inside the containers, while denying knowledge of what type of drugs they were. He reportedly told investigators he collected the containers from the warehouse in question and stored them until instructed where to take them. According to his own claims, he was to receive €5,000 for the work. He denies involvement in or knowledge of the 263kg shipment specifically.
Invoices and phone records cited
Police say the 51-year-old woman's alleged involvement is also significant, stating that she was the person who communicated with the shipping company, and that her contact details were listed with the company that handled the import into Cyprus. Police say these details match those on record for the 51-year-old Israeli woman.
Regarding the 53-year-old Israeli man, police say a search of his mobile phone found photographs of invoices relating to the two earlier shipments, those of 22 July and 12 August 2026, which had been collected by the 50-year-old man. Police say the phone also contained numerous photographs related to various drugs and to scales, along with internet search history relating to warehouses belonging to a specific company in a European country, where the goods from all three shipments were reportedly delivered before being transported on to Cyprus.
This is a developing story.
