Greek Woman Jailed for 16 Years After Smuggling 40 Kilograms of Cannabis into Cyprus

The Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca has sentenced a 26-year-old Greek woman to 16 years in prison after she was caught smuggling nearly 40 kilograms of cannabis into Cyprus.

The woman arrived at Larnaca Airport on March 30 last year, flying from Thailand via Doha. Upon arrival, customs officials and Greek immigration officers inspected her two suitcases. Inside, they found two vacuum-sealed nylon bags containing smaller packets filled with cannabis—altogether weighing around 40 kilograms.

After her arrest, the woman admitted she had brought the drugs into the country intending to hand them over to a specific person. However, that individual never showed up. This seizure was the largest drug bust at Larnaca Airport in 2023.

She was found guilty of importing drugs with the intent to distribute. In delivering the sentence, the court noted the increasing number of drug-related cases currently being heard, and emphasized that the woman was part of a criminal network involved in large-scale drug trafficking.

Her age and the fact that she is a mother of two children were taken into account as mitigating factors during sentencing.