Three people detained at Ercan Airport and in Kyrenia on suspicion of drug possession

On January 17, 2026, three people were detained at Ercan Airport and in Kyrenia in Northern Cyprus on suspicion of possessing narcotic substances, police reported.

At the airport, officers from the Anti-Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Directorate, while screening passengers, noted the reaction of the service dog Lokum to an individual planning to enter the TRNC. During a search, an item allegedly containing about 1 gram of a cannabis-type substance was found and seized from M.M.Y. (male, 39). The suspect was detained.

In Kyrenia, officers from the Crime Prevention Department conducted a search at the residence of A.K. (male, 21) and Y.K. (male, 21). During the search, a grinder and pieces of aluminum foil with suspected traces of a narcotic substance were seized. Both individuals were detained. Further investigation established that the detainees had illegally entered the territory of the TRNC from an unknown location without completing migration formalities.

Police report that the investigation into both incidents is ongoing.