Filenews 18 March 2023
The Police arrested two persons, aged 25 and 26, yesterday, in relation to the investigated case of rioting, assault and injury, offences committed in Limassol, on Friday, 10 March 2023. The two suspects were brought this morning before the Limassol District Court, which, at the request of the Police, issued orders for their four-day detention, for the purpose of investigating the case.
According to the evidence under investigation in the case, on the afternoon of March 10, on a Limassol street, a group of about 40 people, who were in possession of clubs, attacked and beat 43-year-old and 31-year-old residents of Limassol.
Members of the Police went to the scene, as a result of which the attackers dispersed and escaped, taking advantage of the darkness. The 43-year-old and the 31-year-old were found injured there and taken to a private hospital. The 43-year-old was found to have abrasions and lacerated head and left arm injuries, while the 31-year-old suffered a head injury. After receiving first aid, the two were discharged.
On March 13, the Police released photographs of 19 persons, who are being sought for the purpose of investigating the case, (Police Announcement for Wanted Persons, dated 13/03/2023, relevant). The photographs of the 25-year-old and the 26-year-old who have been arrested were among these photographs, (Photos Number 15 and Number 17). After the arrest of the two suspects, the continued publication of their photos is unnecessary.
For the same case, another suspect, a 31-year-old man, was arrested on March 23, who was detained for eight days under a court order, issued the next day, for the purpose of investigating the case, (Police Bulletin No. 3, dated 14/03/2023, relevant).
The case is being investigated by the ICF Limassol.
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Two cases that have recently occupied Paphos have been referred to the Paphos Assize Court for direct trials. These are the huge quantity of about 100,000 firecrackers for which three persons were arrested and for the two successive robberies of the same kiosk in Chloraka for which one person was arrested.
The case of the firecrackers will be heard on April 6. The three Greek Cypriots who were arrested with the quantity of firecrackers in their possession will be brought before the Assize Court.
The 96,140 firecrackers were confiscated during an operation by YKAN in the area of Tzielefos in the mountainous area of Pafos. The police found the three men transferring boxes from one car to another, while a sum of money in excess of €3,000 was also found in their possession.
The Paphos District Court, referring the case to the Assize Court, also decided that the three Greek Cypriots should remain conditionally released until then.
The 23-year-old Nigerian who was arrested for the two consecutive kiosk robberies in Chloraka last week was also referred to the Assize Court by the Paphos court. The perpetrator extorted a total of about €700, showing the employee of the booth a pistol that he had passed in his waist and which turned out to be fake in retrospect.
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The arrest of a 25-year-old man was carried out by members of the Police, in connection with an investigation of an attempted robbery, committed last Wednesday, March 15, at a kiosk in Famagusta district. The suspect was taken into custody for the purpose of investigating the case.
According to the evidence under investigation, at around 6.40 on Wednesday morning, a man who had his face covered with a hood, entered a kiosk in Famagusta district and after pointing a knife at the kiosk worker, demanded that she give him the money from the cash register. At the same time, the suspect tried to open the cashier but did not succeed, while immediately after, after a customer entered the kiosk, the suspect fled.
The examinations carried out by members of the Famagusta ICF, where the attempted robbery was reported on the same day, revealed evidence against the 25-year-old. A judicial arrest warrant was issued against him, under which he was arrested shortly before 9.30 yesterday morning. He was then brought before the Famagusta District Court, which issued a seven-day detention order against him for the purpose of investigating the case.
Interrogated by the members of the ICF, the 25-year-old allegedly confessed to committing the attempted robbery. Famagusta ICF continues exams
The three young men who were arrested the day before yesterday on suspicion of the huge amount of firecrackers found in a customs warehouse in Ypsonas are holding their mouths tightly. The three, a 26-year-old and two 23-year-old Nicosia residents, were brought before the Limassol court yesterday for a request for their detention, for the offences under investigation of conspiracy, illegal import, storage and transfer of explosives and money laundering.
The detention process lasted more than an hour with the defence counsel for the suspects objecting to their detention. The judge, after hearing both sides, finally approved the request of the examiner of the case, Sergeant Achilleas Kokkinoftas, ordering the eight-day detention of all three. Under questioning, the three suspects did not answer any questions and did not cooperate with the investigating authorities.
As "F" is informed, the two pallets with paper boxes were declared as electrical items but contained 303,000 firecrackers with explosives weighing 300 kg. The firecrackers were imported to Cyprus from Piraeus with the ship Allassa in the name of a person who from the examinations so far seems to be non-existent. It should be noted that the mobile phone number indicated on the cargo corresponds to the phone number of the 23-year-old (2nd suspect).
20 statements are expected to be taken in the case and three investigations are expected to be made. An identification parade is also expected to take place where a specific witness is asked to identify one of the suspects. The investigations of the ICF Limassol will be extended to Greece in order to obtain testimony from the sender of the firecrackers. It is also being investigated whether other persons are involved in the case. The Police are convinced that this is a ring of firecrackers dealers as one of the suspects is alleged to be a person who engaged the authorities in similar cases.
The three suspects, according to the facts presented to the court, initially went to the company offices in Zakaki. There, the 23-year-old co-driver entered the said company and after paying the amount of €357, customs clearance costs, received the receipt documents in his hands, returned to the car where they departed.
They then went to a warehouse in the industrial area of Ypsonas to pick up the cargo. At some point, they parked double from a van and then the members of the YKAN intervened where they proceeded to check the two vehicles and the 3 suspects. In the possession of one of them, the keys of the van were also found. During the investigation, the documents related to the import of the merchandise through this company were identified. In the possession of one of the 23-year-olds, a sum of €12,230 was found as well as 5,235 Turkish pounds.
Note that tomorrow members of the Police's Pyrotechnicians Branch will proceed to destroy the firecrackers seized in recent days, at the firing range in Analyontas.
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A 28-year-old Romanian resident of Paphos was arrested last night by the police for burglaries. The 28-year-old was spotted outside St. George's Chapel in the area of the outside fountain.
He was in possession of a knife and tablet which had been stolen from a residence. An interrogator admitted that on two different occasions he broke into the bench of that particular chapel and stole money while it will be examined whether he is involved in other thefts and burglaries.
