Pafos Live 30 April 2024
As part of an investigation into two cases of drug possession, police arrested a total of four people yesterday.
The first case concerns a search last night by members of the YKAN (Nicosia Unit) based on a court warrant at a house in Nicosia.
During the search, which took place in the presence of three persons (men aged 19, 21 and 22), about 250 grams of white crystalline substance and about 60 grams of cannabis were found in various nylon bags. All three persons were arrested for flagrant offences and detained.
Also, yesterday afternoon, members of the YKAN (Limassol Unit), after searching a 30-year-old man's house in Limassol, located and confiscated about 110 grams of cannabis, as well as a precision scale on which there were traces of cannabis.
The 30-year-old was arrested for a flagrant offence and taken into custody to facilitate interrogations.
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Filenews
The identification and arrest of a person of Arab origin is considered key for the ICF of Nicosia in its effort to solve the case of attempted murder against 34-year-old Dimitris Andronikos. This criminal act, as it is known, took place last Tuesday on the Palaichori-Anthoupoli road.
According to what the investigation team presented to the Nicosia District Court last Saturday based on what was reported to it by a police informant, this is the 11th person found on the ICF's list of suspects. This person is wanted and is therefore not currently in the hands of the police.
As for his role, always based on what was reported by the Police to the Court, after committing the attempt he was actively involved in losing track of the scooter-type motorcycle used in the crime. According to the police informant, the two-wheeled vehicle in question was driven by the 7th suspect while the 25-year-old who was arrested on Saturday in Larnaca and placed in police custody was allegedly a passenger. The latter is presented as the person who shot Andronikos. An amount of €8,300 was found in his apartment. The 11th suspect therefore, after committing the offense allegedly helped the scooter driver (7th suspect) to hide it in Kaimakli and dismantle it.
As it is understood, at the moment the Nicosia Crime Detection Department is in the effort to seek testimony that will support the case it is "building" for the attempted murder of the 34-year-old.
The District Court, considering over the weekend the requests for 8-day detention of a total of 10 suspects arrested in the case, accepted that there is reasonable suspicion in the case of seven of them, issuing the relevant orders.
The ICF investigator who presented the case to the Court, in fact, cited what was reported by a police informant, who gives a full picture of the latter's version of how the crime was planned and executed, while he also referred to the evidence so far that emerged from the investigative work (search warrants). The ICF, always based on what it presented to the Court, has also concluded on the alleged motive of the 1st suspect, who appears to have exchanged death threats with the victim, against the background of the leadership of a clan in Nicosia.
However, the "reasonable suspicion" that the outcome managed to support at the ICF Nicosia for 7 of the 10 suspects, is far from strong testimony. It is indicative that two suspects have already expressed through their lawyers the position that they will appeal the decision of the Nicosia District Court to detain them. A relevant legal demarche is expected to be made soon by lawyers Agathoklis Korellis (1st and 4th suspect) and Victor Akamas (1st suspect).
At the moment, the Police are evaluating visual material from 20 closed circuits in the area and statements are being taken (the ICF had mentioned a total of 60 to be taken). In addition, there are many elements that emerged during the execution of arrest warrants. Among other things, a vehicle, a plastic piece believed to be part of a motorcycle, sums of money, as well as other evidence that is being examined scientifically and other was found.
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The 6th Primary School of Pafos experienced two consecutive nights of vandalism. Hitherto unknown perpetrators caused significant damage to the school, both to its buildings and equipment.
The site was visited today by officials of the Pafos School Board. As the school superintendent, Andreas Kesouris, told "F", they were faced with regrettable situations that were created in the area of the Primary School.
"This school unit presents a high risk of vandalism and makes it imperative to take immediate protection measures against these irresponsible," he stressed. "I can't be silent. I declare myself present, no excuses and no tolerance in the trench of education."
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The custom of lambratzia completely escaped. The police may chase every night the youths in the neighbourhoods who collect wood and hide it for the lambratzia, however, there are some others who passed the custom to the next phase.
They entered a fenced organic farm in Akaki, demolishing the fence, cut 80-year-old cypress trees for lambratzia and left undisturbed. The above took place on Monday morning, when two cypress trees were cut, while three weeks ago three more cypress trees were cut off from the same farm, all aged 50-80 years. These are local producers who created their own organic olive grove and citrus fruits.
The owner of the farm, Elena Christoforou told philenews that she has filed a complaint with the police for violating the farm, demolishing a fence and cutting cypress trees for lambratzia. The farm is next to the main Nicosia-Troodos road and hosts donkeys, geese, chickens, who could be found on the road after they knocked down the fence.
"My big concern is what would happen if the donkeys went out on the streets and caused an accident, what would happen if the chickens left and went on the road. Have the youngsters thought about what would happen if, while trying to cut down a cypress tree, it fell on them and injured them?" said Elena Christoforou.
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Cyprus Mail
The prison guard who was arrested on suspicion of arson was remanded for eight days on Tuesday.
The 47-year-old man was brought before the Nicosia district court and accused of a total of three arson attacks – the one which he carried out in the early hours of Monday morning, another arson attack on a car, and a suspected arson attack on a children’s play park.
The case’s investigator said in court that a “pattern of action” had emerged in all three cases. The man, he said, had gone to and from the scene of each arson attack on foot, and CCTV footage from all three arson attacks had shown a man with the same body type arriving and leaving.
The investigator added that the suspect had verbally admitted to his crimes. Additionally, he said a total of 13 statements regarding the crimes are set to be taken.
The police are still examining CCTV footage from the scenes of all three arson attacks, while they will also examine CCTV footage from local petrol stations.
They believe that he may have been involved in as many as “10 to 15 cases” of arson which took place in recent months.
The man had been arrested on Monday after having allegedly set fire to a car at around 4.20am in Strovolos.
When police began their investigation into the matter, they found a vehicle in the area which was “moving suspiciously”.
They pulled the car over and found a balaclava, a pair of gloves, and a bottle containing traces of what was believed to be a flammable liquid inside.
