It was social media and further intelligence, that set off the latest opioid seizure. YKAN Commander Christos Andreou told Politis to the Point that officers identified TikTok posts appearing to advertise the sale of Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy and moved quickly to act before the trade could take hold.
Working in coordination with courier companies, the operation launched on Thursday 19 June. Within four days, seven people had been arrested across four separate cases in Nicosia and Limassol, and 31.5 kilograms of dried poppy pods and other opioids had been confiscated.
The TikTok posts have since been removed but remain under active monitoring.
Andreou said the unit worked intensively to intervene at the earliest possible stage. He also warned that the substances seized, if processed, can produce a marketable narcotic but that improper dosage or processing could prove fatal.
Two arrested in Limassol
Monday's operation in Limassol resulted in two arrests. Officers spotted a 23-year-old man carrying a bag on a Limassol street and, upon searching it, found two plastic packages of dried Papaver somniferum pods weighing a combined 418 grams. He was arrested on the spot.
A search of his residence uncovered a 21-year-old also present at the address, along with a cardboard box containing eight further packages of dried pods with a total gross weight of 1.682 kilograms. Both men were subsequently rearrested under court warrants and placed in custody. Additional items found at the property were retained as evidence.
A first for Cyprus
Earlier the same day, a separate YKAN operation carried out in coordination with the Customs Department led to the arrest of a 35-year-old man and a 31-year-old woman. Police described that seizure as the first recorded instance of this category of narcotic being imported into Cyprus in large quantities.
Press conference on Wednesday
The Cyprus Police will hold a press conference on Wednesday presenting YKAN's operations and results for the first half of 2026, alongside an update on recent cases involving new categories of narcotics. Chief of Police Themistoklis Arnaoutis, Deputy Chief Panikos Stavrou, and YKAN Commander Christos Andreou are expected to speak.
