NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) — The Orthodox Christian Church of Cyprus says it's "deeply distressed" over the arrest of a parish priest on suspicion of trafficking drugs to the island from abroad.
The Church said in a statement Friday that the "abhorrent actions" of Father Panayiotis Triantafyllou, a Greek national, have scandalized the faithful and constitute a "black spot" on the Church body.
Police arrested the 38-year-old priest at Cyprus' main Larnaca airport late Wednesday after discovering three kilograms of marijuana in his luggage. Triantafyllou had arrived on a flight from Greece.
A Cyprus court ordered Triantafyllou to remain in police custody for eight days until investigators completed their probe.
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