Wednesday, August 9, 2023

CRIME ROUND UP

 Pafos Live 9 August 2023



A new case of extortion of property by false representations, related to "PaySafe" prepaid credit cards, is being investigated by the Police, following a complaint submitted to the ICF of Pafos.

The case was reported on Tuesday afternoon by the kiosk owner in Paphos. According to the complainant, shortly after 11.00 pm, the kiosk worker received a call on the kiosk's landline number, from a Greek phone number, from an unknown person, who spoke Greek, told her that he is an employee of a specific company and that "PaySafe" prepaid credit cards have been abolished.

The kiosk worker was persuaded by the offender, who asked her to tell him the 16-digit numbers of the PaySafe cards, worth €100, so that he could cancel them through the system. The employee told him the numbers of seven PaySafe cards, worth a total of €700.

After the kiosk owner was later informed by the kiosk worker, he contacted the company from which he obtained the PaySafe cards and found that it was fraudulent.

Similar cases of fraud involving the issuance of PaySafe prepaid cards, committed with an identical modus operandi of fraudsters, have been reported to the Police by kiosk owners in recent days.

For this reason, and on the occasion of this new case, the Police recommends caution to citizens and especially to the owners and employees of kiosks, supermarkets and other shops where "PaySafe" cards are available for sale, appealing once again:

(a) immediately inform their staff

(b) not to issue cards by telephone to any person;

(c) if they become aware of the commission of such an offence, immediately report the incident to the Police, stating the number of the card charged.

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Police arrested a 49-year-old man yesterday to facilitate investigations into an ongoing theft case.


The 49-year-old was noticed by a bather yesterday afternoon, in an area of Paphos, stealing his personal belongings that were on the beach. (A bag, which contained, among other things, the sum of €40 euros and a wallet worth €700).


The suspect tried to flee in a vehicle, while at the same time members of the cycling police, with the help of the complainant, managed to stop him.


In a subsequent search of the 49-year-old's vehicle, the stolen property was located, and then a court arrest warrant was issued, under which he was arrested and detained.

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The two young Greek Cypriots, aged 28 and 2023, who have been arrested for the large quantity of drugs found in a field in Chloraka, were indicted today before the Pafos Permanent Assize Court, which will meet on 34 September 27.

The court ordered their detention until the start of the hearing. On July 30, following a coordinated operation by members of the anti-narcotics agency, members of the force located the 27-year-old defendant in an open field in Chloraka, who allegedly excavated, opened a buried tank and processed its contents.

The members of the Police checked the suspect and found inside the buried tank, packages of cannabis with a total gross weight of 27 kg and 27 grams, as well as a quantity of cocaine, with a gross weight of 94 grams.

A search followed in the car in which the 27-year-old had gone to the scene, where, according to police, packages with a quantity of cocaine, gross weight of 12 kg and approximately 344 grams, were found. As part of the operation, members of the Police also proceeded to arrest the 34-year-old, based on a court warrant and on the basis of evidence they obtained.

The two are being investigated for importation of drugs, possession of drugs with intent to supply another person, money laundering and conspiracy to commit a felony.

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Police arrested a 39-year-old man yesterday under a court arrest warrant as part of an investigation into a case involving conspiracy to commit a felony and residential burglary and theft.

The 39-year-old is allegedly involved in a residential burglary case committed in Paphos on August 05, 2023, where the sum of €4600 was stolen.

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Members of the Police proceeded to the spontaneous arrest of a 26-year-old man, who found the suspect extorting property from a 19-year-old man, who had lost consciousness, on a road in the Ayia Napa area. It was later found that the 19-year-old, who regained consciousness, is in good health.

The 19-year-old was noticed unconscious on a street in the Ayia Napa area, by members of the Famagusta ICF, who shortly after midnight were on patrol, as part of policing actions to prevent crime and nuisance phenomena. At the same time, ICF members noticed the 26-year-old suspect taking a shoulder bag from the 19-year-old.

ICF members rushed to the spot, where after showing the 26-year-old suspect their police ID, he tried to run away, but did not succeed, after being stopped by the members of the Police. During his arrest, the suspect attacked the police, who proceeded to arrest him, despite his resistance.

A search followed, during which the suspect was found in possession of the purse he had stolen from the 19-year-old, in which were a mobile phone, a small amount of money in British pounds, and a driving licence, with the identity of the 19-year-old, a visitor from the UK. The 26-year-old suspect was also found in possession of the sum of €1,700, the origin of which is being investigated after the suspect did not give satisfactory explanations for its possession.

Police arrested the 26-year-old for the offences of theft and illegal possession of property, while assisting the 19-year-old, who then regained consciousness. The 19-year-old is in good health.

From the examinations that were subsequently carried out to verify the identity of the suspect, it was found that he is a third-country national and is illegally in the Republic, since his residence permit has expired in July, 2023. He was taken into custody for police questioning.

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Around 5am yesterday, information was received by the Police about a fire in a car owned by a 39-year-old woman in Nicosia.

From the fire, which was extinguished by members of the Fire Brigade, the car was completely destroyed, while it was found that it was a malicious act.

As part of the investigation of the case, testimony emerged against a 52-year-old man, who was arrested yesterday afternoon on a court arrest warrant and detained to facilitate interrogations.

Also, around 00.50 yesterday, information was received about a fire on an external wall of a house in the area of Morfou. The fire was extinguished in time by the complainant, while tests carried out revealed that it was a malicious act.

Regarding the above investigated case, testimony emerged against a 21-year-old man, who was arrested last night on a court warrant and taken into custody to facilitate interrogations.