Man who managed drug trafficking from prison with the help of his girlfriend sentenced to 16 years in prison

A man who was involved in drug trafficking through his girlfriend while serving time in a north Cyprus prison was sentenced to 16 years in prison by the Lefkosia Heavy Penal Court, while his girlfriend was sentenced to 13 years in prison.

The suspect Murat Akyol who was being tried at the Lefkosa heavy penal court while serving a sentence in the Lefkosa Central Prison for drug-related offenses was found in possession of a total of 3,166 grams of methamphetamine, 2,933 grams of raw opium, and 750 grams of heroin through his girlfriend Zümrüt Deniz.

The verdict was delivered unanimously by the panel of judges.

Delivering the judgement, the head judge stated that the three types of drugs Akyol possessed were not only in large quantities but also highly dangerous.

The judge emphasized the severe physical and psychological harm caused by these drugs. He revealed that while imprisoned, Akyol coordinated with his girlfriend via phone to obtain the drugs, using coded language to avoid detection since prison calls were monitored.

It was further noted that Akyol, sent to prison to rehabilitate from his drug offenses, continued to commit crimes by giving orders over the phone. Judge Aksun considered this behavior—committing another offense while already incarcerated—a significant aggravating factor.

The judge also noted that Zümrüt Deniz was sentenced to 13 years in prison but clarified that Akyol played a central role in organizing and managing the crimes, committing more severe offenses than Deniz. Highlighting the adverse effects of drug crimes on society and youth, the court sentenced Akyol to 16 years in prison.