A Greek Cypriot man from Xylophagou was sentenced to four years in prison on Oct. 2 for possession with intent to supply Class A and B drugs, according to the Sovereign Base Areas Police.
The 52-year-old, who was already wanted in connection with similar offenses, was arrested near his village on May 6 after being found with one gram of crystal meth.
He has remained in custody since his arrest.
A forensic examination of the suspect’s mobile phone linked him to drug supply activity, leading to the sentence handed down by a senior judge at the SBA Court in Dhekelia.
Detective Inspector Fanos Christodoulou credited the Division’s Community Action Team for its role in the investigation, which prompted the man to change his initial plea from not guilty to guilty.
“We should be very proud of the sentence handed down by our court. It sends a strong message about how seriously we take crimes of this sort,” Christodoulou said. “Although one gram of meth may not sound like a lot, linking him to supply allowed us to ensure he will remain behind bars for a long time.”
Christodoulou added that the suspect’s change of plea reflected the strength of the evidence gathered by investigators.