Cyprus Gist: North Cyprus police arrest Tanzania student with 5 grams of narcotics

A team of the Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Directorate in the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus on Wednesday arrested one Mussula Thomas Reuben, an international student from Tanzania on the ground that he sold narcotics (aka bonzai) to a foreign national in a university campus following a tip off.

According to report, Reuben, who was found with 5 grams of synthetic cannabionid (bonzai) on 21 pakets tried to escape with the narcotics in a polystyrene at the time of the arrest. The narcotics were taken away by the team.

Reuben appeared in court on Friday. The case was presided over by Judge Cenkay İnan, while the prosecutor was Behrat Mavioğlu, on behalf of the TRNC Prosecutor's Office. The judge listened to Police Officer Mustafa Zor, who worked as a witness in the Directorate for the Prevention of Narcotics and Smuggling.

Zor, who gave the sworn affidavit in court, noted that on July 26, a person in Haspolat was informed about the sale of a drug, and the suspect was identified in the office of a university campus with the  help of security officers.

Pointing to the existence of the ambiguity of the suspect, and the fact that he was a sought person and believed to be missing, Zor requested that the suspect be held in custody for a day for investigation.

The lawyer representing the suspect, Ramadan Sanar, said, 

My client did not sell drugs and did not earn any income, while refusing to appeal to the request for detention.

Judge Cenkay İnan ordered the suspect to remain in custody for one day.

Photo credit: Kibris Gazettesi