Police in Cyprus have seized 417.9kg of ketamine, a drug rarely found on the island, in raids that have raised concerns about a new wave of drug misuse. The haul was confiscated in September, with police reporting three separate cases: 5g in the first, just over 390kg in the second, and 27.5kg in the third. Most of the ketamine, police said, was seized in Limassol. Drug squad chief Christos Andreou said the seizure amounted to approximately 790,000 doses. Police are investigating whether the third case, found in the home of two young men, is linked to the large consignment involving an Israeli and a Palestinian couple. The article also explains why ketamine is so controversial in Cyprus. Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used in medical and veterinary procedures as a pain blocker, inducing a trance-like state while allowing patients to breathe on their own. In Cyprus it is classified as a Class B drug. While ketamine is monitored when used as a medicine, police concern centres on illicit circulation. Ketamine is described as the main ingredient in the relatively new “pink cocaine”, which the report says also contains MDMA, methamphetamine, caffeine and opioids. The story notes that ketamine is used in clinics for pain, including at a Swiss Pain Clinic in Limassol, where an anaesthesiologist says it is administered only to selected patients with chronic pain under strict monitoring in an equipped clinical setting. The report also references ketamine being offered for treatment-resistant depression, handled by psychiatrists. As of now, police have not confirmed any charges or convictions, and the investigation into links between the seized quantities is ongoing.