Filenews 6 November 2023
Police arrested two people today to facilitate investigations into an ongoing case of illegal possession of drugs. They are a 20-year-old and a 24-year-old, in whose possession quantities of various types of drugs were found.
Specifically, around 11.25 a.m. Today, motorcyclists of Group Z, Nicosia Traffic Police, stopped for inspection, on a road of the capital, a motorcycle with two people on board.
It was found that the driver of the motorcycle was a 20-year-old resident of Nicosia, while the passenger was a 24-year-old, also a resident of Nicosia.
During a subsequent search, they were found in possession and seized as evidence, a quantity of cocaine, a total gross weight of 5 grams, a quantity of cannabis resin, a total gross weight, 22 grams, a quantity of cannabis, a total gross weight of 29 grams and the sum of €2,710.
The 20-year-old and 24-year-old were arrested for a flagrant offence and taken into custody to facilitate interrogations.
A search followed at the homes of the two arrested, where at the house of the 20-year-old, a quantity of cannabis resin, gross weight of 2 grams, quantity of cannabis, gross weight, 5 grams and 40 pills were located and confiscated.
The YKAN (Nicosia District Unit) is investigating the case.
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The developments regarding the execution of Thanasis Kalogeropoulos, which took place last Monday morning, in the coastal area of Germasogeia, in front of the eyes of dozens of unsuspecting citizens, are storming.
Investigators from the ICF Limassol arrested two suspects, aged 41 and 44, respectively on Saturday afternoon. In fact, they appear convinced that the 41-year-old suspect is the driver of the motorcycle and the executioner who shot Kalogeropoulos with a pistol.
On the other hand, they are trying to unravel the role played by the 44-year-old, who is alleged to be the person who hosted the 41-year-old for two months at his mansion. He went with him to carry the motorcycle to the scene of the arson and after the murder the executioners went to his residence.
The investigation team is engaged in a race to reach the traces of the motorcycle passenger and second executioner, as well as other persons involved and who is the mastermind behind the murder of Kalogeropoulos. The possibility of new arrests in connection with the case is not excluded, while investigations will be extended to Central Prisons.
For now, however, the motive behind the execution remains a puzzle. From the evidence in the hands of the investigators of the ICF of Limassol it is also concluded that the planning, organization and execution of the murder of the victim took place at the 44-year-old's mansion.
Indicative is the report of the investigator of the case, who also heads the investigation team, Kostas Michael, about the involvement of the 44-year-old. "There is an informant who verbally stated, for the moment, that the 44-year-old is a person who knew about the crime, its planning and execution."
The two men were arrested and brought before the Court yesterday for the offences under investigation of conspiracy to murder, premeditated murder, possession, transport and use of firearms, category A and B, possession, transport and use of explosives, arson and theft of a car. The two, wearing bulletproof vests and accompanied by strong security forces, entered the courtroom.
Outside the building were familiar faces of Kalogeropoulos and after the end of the process tension and disturbance were caused. Specifically, during the departure of the police transport vehicle, friends of the victim preyed on the suspects and threw various objects towards the vehicle.
They were "burned" by CCTV
Methodically and persistently, dozens of closed circuit surveillance systems were studied, which, as they show, are the ones that completed many pieces of the puzzle.
As it turns out, the two executioners made mistakes and did not correctly calculate that their movements would be recorded and perceived by citizens. Their goal may have been achieved, but 5 days later they were put in handcuffs.
Surveillance examinations initially identified where the vehicle used in the murder had been stolen from. Also, the investigations found that during the month of October 5 registration plates had been stolen from vehicles of the same make and type as the one used by the perpetrators.
As "F" is aware, in one case of vehicle license plate theft, CCTV recorded the perpetrator arriving at the scene in a Mazda Demio vehicle, while he had the same body type as the suspects.
The photo that betrayed the executioner
The photo released with the two hitmen played a key role as citizens provided various information about the driver after he bore certain characteristics that resemble the 41-year-old suspect.
Information provided to the authorities said that the 41-year-old is alleged to be the person involved in Kalogeropoulos' murder, was in possession of the motorcycle and recently moved to a villa in the area of Skarinou.
The day before the murder, the suspects, who were in a car and motorcycle, went to the dirt road where the arson of the vehicle occurred after the murder and a few minutes later departed only by car. As it turns out, they are allegedly the two suspects who left the motorcycle there for the executioners to use the next day, as a means of escape.
Also, other videos show that the motorcycle and a vehicle departed from the area of Skarinou and from a road leading to the 44-year-old suspect's mansion. The two hitmen were recorded half an hour after the murder riding the motorcycle, which reached the Zygi roundabout and made a U-turn heading west. A few minutes later, CCTV records the driver covering his face with black cloth.
It is believed by authorities that the driver lost the hat he was wearing. Also, another CCTV records the motorcycle with the two hitmen entering the road leading to the 44-year-old's mansion. In addition to CCTV footage, investigators obtained testimonies from citizens who saw the two attackers riding the motorcycle.
He shaved and left evidence
According to "F", yesterday Saturday a new information was received which stated that the 41-year-old suspect had returned to his residence in Paphos and had shaved. On the same day, members of the Force went to the suspect's home and proceeded to arrest him as he was wanted for an arson case in Larnaka.
The suspect had shaved and a search of his home found several shaved hairs in a sink of the house. Clothing, a mobile phone, telescopic flashlights and jockey-style hats, such as the one that appears to have been worn by the driver of the motorcycle, were also located and received.
It should be noted that an informant in his oral testimony said that the 44-year-old owner of the mansion had been hosting the 41-year-old for the last two months and specifically since September. The informant said the 44-year-old knew the 41-year-old would commit a criminal act.
Meeting 10 days before with Kalogeropoulos
The 44-year-old told a police officer that he knew Kalogeropoulos and had met with him 10 days before the murder. He even claimed that they talked about business, specifically gambling. He said there were two other people he named at the meeting.
In addition to the above, the 44-year-old claimed that between the dates of October 27-31, he was absent with his wife and lived in another place.
The 44-year-old did not give a statement after his arrest as he claimed he was tired but denied involvement.
As for the 41-year-old, he refused to answer any questions put to him by investigators.
Investigators are expected to review recordings obtained from the 44-year-old's mansion, which may show the movements of suspects and other people who went to the mansion.
The telecommunications data of the two suspects are also important data, as from there their movements and communications between them and other persons will be ascertained.
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The hearing for the 13 defendants of the shameful incidents that took place on the evening of September 1, during a protest against immigration in the area of Embankment, did not proceed today.
It is recalled that in the previous proceedings before the Permanent Assize Court of Limassol, 9 of the 13 defendants submitted a request to be represented in a legal action. During today's proceedings, the application for legal aid was approved, with the Court instructing that the reports of the Welfare Office be prepared.
The Assize Court set a new date of November 22 for examining the reports and requests for legal aid. The court also noted that at the next hearing the defendants will be asked to answer to the charges they face. The multi-page indictment includes 17 counts of participating in a riot, causing damage to buildings by riots, arson, assault on a law enforcement officer, common assault, public incitement to violence or hatred, malicious damage to property and stabbing. 12 of the 13 are free with restrictive conditions, while the convict remains in the Central Prison since when he was arrested he was serving his sentence under electronic surveillance. It is impressive that among the 13 is included a Syrian who holds a Cypriot identity card.
The said defendant was arrested near the area of the incidents, with a knife in his vehicle. It is worth mentioning that once again outside the District Court were found citizens of mainly left-wing organizations held an antifascist protest. Holding banners reading "They are not innocent! The fascists in prison", the protesters once again called for the exemplary punishment of those involved in the Limassol pogrom. It should be noted that inside and outside the Court there were strong police forces to maintain order and prevent incidents.
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Police in Paphos launched an operation to combat cybercrime over the weekend, during which business premises were searched and electronic equipment was confiscated.
According to the spokesperson of the Pafos Police Department, Michalis Nicolaou, members of the Cybercrime Subdivision, the Paphos Crime Prevention Unit and the Pafos ICF, pursuant to a court warrant, proceeded to search premises in Paphos.
In one of them, he said, seven set-top boxes, four of which were operational, and a remote control were located and confiscated. In a second premises, three modems and two remote controls were located and confiscated. The operation of the premises was terminated due to the fact that it was operating without a music license and a liquor license.
Also, in a third premises, an IP Box and a decoder were located and confiscated. And the owner of the premises was denounced due to the fact that it was operating without a music license.
In all the premises through televisions it seems that football matches were shown without the copyright held by a specific company. Nicolaou said that all seized items were handed over to the Pafos ICF which undertook the investigation of the case.
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With the Artemis Cy application in hand, almost 40,000 hunters set out yesterday, who for the first time were obliged to declare the number of their prey, either on the special platform or by sms, before getting into their vehicles to move away from each point. Despite the fact that the start of the new hunting season for hare, partridge and francolina etc. started smoothly, however, the offenders were not absent.
As a police representative told "F", a person was spotted around 9:00 by members of the Anti-Poaching Unit of MMAD who was hunting in a prohibited area near Mari. Following the inspection, he was denounced, in addition to hunting in a prohibited area, for illegal possession and transport of a firearm and explosives.
This person did not even have a renewed hunting license, and the gun he was carrying was not his. In addition, during the morning, the help of the Traffic Police was requested to transfer a 32-year-old man to Nicosia Hospital as soon as possible. The call was made by a friend of the injured man, who noted that the 32-year-old had a gunshot wound in the leg.
For his part, the spokesman of the Game Service, Petros Anagiotos, told "F" that members of the service spotted a man hunting without having renewed his license. The penalty for that offence starts with a fine of €3,000, he said.
However, Mr. Anagiotos noted, the start of the hunt started smoothly for the approximately 40,000 citizens who renewed their licenses. He said hunters were consistent with the mandatory harvest declaration and reported the number of their game, either through the "Artemis Cy" mobile phone application or via sms. "We had a lot of entries in the app, but also a lot of messages. The harvest was satisfactory, despite the fact that the weather conditions were not favorable, as we had high temperature and humidity."
The hunting season will end on December 31, 2023. Hunting will only be allowed on Wednesdays and Sundays.
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Eight months in prison will ultimately cost the 47-year-old Syrian his threat to overturn Pafos and his incitement to violence.
The Pafos District Court, before which he was brought today from the Central Prison where he has been held since last August, imposed on the defendant a prison sentence of six months for the charge of causing or inciting violence and eight months for the charge of incitement to commit a criminal offence and ordered the immediate execution of the sentences that are present.
The events took place on August 27 in Chloraka, following a peaceful demonstration over migration, during which some people committed criminal offenses, such as rioting and malicious damage to homes and vehicles. The next day, at a counter-demonstration by foreign residents of Chlorakas, the 47-year-old made the controversial statements to the media for which he was accused.
The 47-year-old's defense lawyer said his client immediately admitted to the charges of causing or inciting violence and the offence of incitement to commit a criminal offense, showing remorse and attributed them to emotional charge, since he claimed that some of the people hit during the incidents in Chloraka were his relatives.
He also said that he had a clean criminal record and has been a law-abiding citizen for the last 30 years living in the Republic of Cyprus, asking the Court to show maximum leniency.
