Trio Arrested with One Kilogram of Drugs, Remanded in Custody for Over Two Months

Police officer Cemal Ramiz presented the case details, stating that the suspects were arrested between April 14 and April 18, 2024, for the offenses of "Unlawful Acquisition, Possession, and Trafficking of Narcotic Substances" in Nicosia. On April 18, 2024, in the Küçük Kaymaklı area, narcotics teams attempted to search Cypriacus Anthony Nzubechi, who was deemed suspicious, but he attempted to flee upon seeing the officers. He was apprehended shortly afterward using reasonable force.

During the search of Nzubechi, approximately 5 grams of cannabis wrapped in four separate foil papers were found in the pocket of his denim pants. Subsequently, the police conducted a search of the address where Nzubechi resided in Küçük Kaymaklı, securing the area before entering. Upon entering, they found Onukwube Christian Apeh in the living room, while Onyeka Anthony Omeke quickly locked himself in a room. Police forced open the door and caught Omeke red-handed, throwing away 30 grams of cannabis in 29 packets and 840 grams in 30 packets. Omeke was arrested using reasonable force, and 7,200 TL believed to be proceeds from drug sales were seized from his room.

In Nzubechi's bedroom, 3,200 TL, 100 grams of cannabis, and a precision scale believed to be used in drug sales were found and seized. While no narcotics were found on Onukwube Christian Apeh, police noted that he was wanted in connection with a drug case in Girne in 2022, involving the seizure of 1.5 kilograms of cannabis and 100 grams of synthetic cannabinoids. A separate investigation has been initiated against Apeh.

During interrogation, Omeke confessed to purchasing one kilogram of drugs from an individual on April 14 and selling 14 grams for 7,000 TL. Nzubechi also admitted to buying 140 grams of drugs from Omeke and selling 4 grams.

The suspects appeared in court twice, and a total of 11 days of detention orders were issued. During this time, the seized narcotics were sent for analysis, and fingerprints on numerous foils and nylon materials were examined.

Furthermore, immigration checks revealed that Nzubechi had a valid residence permit until September 30, 2024, while Omeke and Apeh had been residing in the country without permission since November 17, 2021, and October 27, 2022, respectively. The police requested the court to impose appropriate bail conditions, stating that the investigation had been completed.

After evaluating the testimony, Judge Zehra Yalkut Bilgeç ordered the suspects to remain in pre-trial detention for a period not exceeding two months to ensure their presence at trial.