Filenews 24 October 2023
The three defendants, aged 96, 34 and 31, who appeared today before the Assize Court in Paphos, have failed to admit to the charges they face for illegal possession and transport of firecrackers.
The Assize Court then set the case for 5 February 2024 for hearing purposes, so that the defence could be given all witness material and the evidence could be examined by its experts. The three defendants will remain free on parole until then.
A total of 96140 firecrackers were found and confiscated in a wooded area in the area of Tzielefos bridge in eastern mountainous Paphos following an intelligence assessment by YKAN. Members of the Service specifically went to the area on March 12, 2023 and spotted three men unloading boxes from two cars.
Subsequent tests found 34 cardboard boxes containing firecrackers in the first car in which a 96-year-old man had travelled to the area. In the second car, in which a 31-year-old and a 23-year-old man had travelled to the area, another 52 boxes were found, containing 77,180 firecrackers. All three persons were arrested for the offence of illegal possession and transport of explosives. In addition to the 34-year-old's possession, a shoulder bag containing more than €3,000 was found, the origin of which he did not give satisfactory explanations.
Further examinations by police pyrotechnics revealed that these were factory cylindrical paper firecrackers.
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Pafos Live 25 October
A 39-year-old Turkish Cypriot man is being sought by police following a complaint by a contractor manager about theft of scaffolding and other building materials.
The manager of the company complained that scaffolding and other materials with a total value of more than three thousand euros were stolen from an open storage area of the company.
Police have obtained testimony about a specific type of vehicle seen at the site and have issued an arrest warrant against the 39-year-old Turkish Cypriot.
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A total of 71 traffic complaints were made by members of the Pafos Police Department in the last 24 hours for violations of the Road Traffic Code.
The 23 complaints relate to a speed limit violation and a 37-year-old driver tested positive for a drug test. The 37-year-old Cuban was also found in possession of a small quantity of drugs which he claimed was intended for his own use.
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Filenews 25 October
A new case of extortion of property by false representations, by people pretending to be doctors, is being investigated by the Police in Nicosia.
Specifically, according to a complaint made by a 68-year-old woman at the ICF of Nicosia, around 11.45 a.m. Yesterday, she received a phone call from a confidential number, at her home phone.
According to the 68-year-old, an unknown man told her that he was the Director of Nicosia General Hospital and that her daughter had been beaten and had to undergo surgery and that she needed to give money urgently..
The woman was convinced and after continuing the conversation with the stranger from her mobile phone, drove her vehicle to a place where he indicated to her in Nicosia and handed over to an unknown woman, the amount of €1,900 and various items of gold and jewellery worth about €18,000.The ICF Nicosia is investigating the case.
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The trial of the high-profile case of the incidents that took place at the Limassol pier, during a protest against immigration, has been postponed to November 6.
In the dock were presented 13 defendants who face serious charges of participating in a riot, causing damage to a building by rioters, public incitement to violence or hatred, arson, assault on a law enforcement officer, common assault, stabbing and malicious damage.
Most of the defendants appeared at the Assize Court today without being represented by lawyers, but asked to apply for legal aid.
As a result, the Court postponed today's proceedings in order to register legal aid. The case was set for a response on a new date, namely 6 November.
All defendants remain free on parole, paying bail of €10,000. It should be noted that for the 14th defendant there will be a separate trial again before the Assize Court as he was arrested a month later.
At the same time, dozens of members of the Police have lined up outside the building of the Limassol District Court wearing anti-riot uniform.
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Pafos Live
The Pafos District Court rejected a police request for detention orders for 10 people of Arab origin who had allegedly formed a criminal organization to transport foreigners to Cyprus for a fee.
In its judgment, the Court stated that there was no reasonable evidence of the suspects' involvement in the offences under investigation.
He even accused the police of being slow to act, despite having information for some time about the existence of a ring involved in the smuggling of hundreds of migrants.
Police had arrested the 10 people in a coordinated operation yesterday.
Following the Court's decision, the 10 suspects were released.
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Filenews
He could not stand the pressure he had been receiving lately from another person to store quantities of hard drugs in his home and called the Limassol YKAN.
The reason is a 26-year-old man who yesterday (24/10) handed over to the members of YKAN, a quantity of cocaine of 90 grams that he had hidden in his home. According to philenews, a 26-year-old man called the Limassol YKAN on Tuesday morning and reported that there is a quantity of cocaine in his residence which he is keeping for another person. Following the tip-off, members of the YKAN went to the 26-year-old's home, with the young man handing over a nylon bag containing a quantity of cocaine weighing 90 grams.
Under questioning, the 26-year-old claimed that the amount of cocaine found in his home belonged to a 27-year-old. He said he agreed to store the cocaine in his home under pressure from the latter. In particular, he claimed that he agreed to store quantities of cocaine to pay off the debt from renovation work on his auxiliary home.
Tasks undertaken by the 27-year-old. Among other things, he said that the quantity of 90 grams was part of a larger quantity of cocaine, in addition to the 200 grams originally in the possession of the 27-year-old and which on several occasions, he had in his home to keep on his behalf. On the same day, judicial arrest warrants were obtained for both persons.
The 26-year-old was arrested while he was already at the YKAN offices and was taken into custody, while the 27-year-old suspect was arrested yesterday afternoon. The members of the YKAN went to the house of the 2nd suspect where they found a nylon bag with traces of cocaine on a bedroom table.
Under oral questioning, the 27-year-old admitted that there was cocaine inside, which he used for his own use. The 2nd suspect was then taken to the offices of the YKAN and, questioned in writing, denied involvement in the quantity of cocaine found at the 26-year-old's home and gave various allegations which are being investigated.
The two suspects were brought today before the Limassol District Court for a request for their detention with the investigators of the Limassol YKAN requesting their detention for a period of 6 days. The Court granted the request and ordered that they be detained. Investigations by YKAN Limassol continue in relation to the origin of cocaine, the supplier of hard drugs but collaborators of the suspects. It is expected that 20 statements will be received from the family and friends of the two persons.
