The Drug Law Enforcement Unit (DLEU) has investigated 718 drug-related cases since the beginning of 2026, involving 773 persons, while increased quantities have been recorded in certain categories, including cocaine and captagon, compared with the whole of 2025. A new phenomenon this year has been the detection of poppy stalks, with the quantity seized reaching 60 kilograms.

Speaking to CNA on Wednesday, DLEU Director Christos Andreou said the figures were recorded before the end of the year, noting that five months of activity still remain until the end of 2026.

“This year, up to today, we have had 718 cases in total and 773 persons involved,” he said, noting that throughout 2025 the DLEU recorded 1,114 cases and 1,178 arrests.

Regarding quantities, the DLEU Director said that, to date, approximately 273 kilograms of cannabis, around 48 kilograms of cannabis resin, 34 cannabis plants and 83 kilograms of cocaine have been seized.

According to the Director, cocaine is one of the categories showing a significant increase compared with last year, as 51 kilograms were seized throughout 2025, while the quantity this year so far has reached 83 kilograms.

Regarding cannabis, Andreou said that 810 kilograms were seized throughout 2025, while this year’s figure so far stands at approximately 273 kilograms.

As regards cannabis resin, he noted a significant increase, with the quantity rising from 2 kilograms seized last year to approximately 48 kilograms this year.

For cannabis plants, he said that 85 plants were detected throughout 2025, while 34 have been detected so far this year.

Referring to other categories of drugs, the DLEU Director said that approximately 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine (crystal) have been seized this year so far, compared with approximately 6.5 kilograms throughout 2025.

Regarding MDMA (ecstasy), seizures this year so far amount to 333 tablets, compared with 313 tablets last year.

An increase has also been recorded in captagon, with seizures reaching 1194 tablets so far this year, compared with 71.5 tablets seized in total during 2025.

Andreou also said that this year the DLEU detected paper sheets impregnated with narcotic substances. “Last year the seizures were very small, almost negligible,” he said, adding that this year so far 1.5 kilograms and 993 paper sheets have been identified for seizure.

He also said that the DLEU detected doping substances, with quantities reaching 110 vials and 120 tablets so far this year, while last year 501 tablets and 73 vials had been seized.

Regarding poppy stalks, which constitute opioids, Andreou said that this was a new phenomenon recorded by the DLEU this year.

“Last year we had nothing. This year, through the operations we carried out, we had 17 cases in total. We arrested 22 persons. We seized 60 kilograms of opioid drugs, namely poppy stalks,” he added.

Regarding the occupied areas, the DLEU Director said that the issue of greatest concern to the Service relates to captagon.

“The only thing for which we have information that there may be trafficking is captagon, for which we carried out many operations this year and managed to detect large quantities,” he said.

He added that the Service remains on alert and that operations continue along the Green Line.