Israeli & Palestinian Couples Suspected of Smuggling Ketamine on Yachts
Israeli and Palestinian couples arrested in Cyprus with 126.63 kg of ketamine, the largest seizure of its kind, suspected of smuggling via luxury yachts.
Jerusalem, 13 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Authorities in Limassol, Cyprus, arrested an Israeli couple and a Palestinian couple after seizing 126.63 kilograms of ketamine, the country’s largest-ever ketamine seizure. Police suspect the four are linked to an organized trafficking network using luxury yachts to smuggle drugs from Israel to Cyprus, with ketamine concealed in commercial paint containers.
At the Palestinian suspect’s home in Mouttagiaka, police found 126.63 kilograms of ketamine hidden in paint containers. Preliminary tests indicated the drug had been imported into Cyprus from a European country.
A search of the Israeli suspect’s home in Ipsonas uncovered 34 grams of cocaine, 246.5 grams of ketamine, 15 grams of mephedrone, 12 grams of MDMA and more than €4,000 in cash. Authorities are investigating possible links to a criminal organization.