Filenews 19 August 2024
Authorities handcuffed two people with fake passports. Initially to a 36-year-old foreigner, who during passport control at the new port of Limassol, where he would travel with the ship "MV DALEELA" to Piraeus, presented a Spanish passport that at first sight seemed correct.
Under questioning, he admitted to being Iranian and was arrested for the offence of impersonation. He then said he bought the passport from Turkey for €15,000.
On the same day and time, at the port of Limassol, a second person, aged 20, presented a Romanian passport which was suspected by the member of the Police to be also fake.
Under questioning, the 20-year-old said he was Syrian and bought his Romanian passport in Cyprus for €1,500. He, too, was arrested for the offence of impersonation.
Court warrants were issued for both persons for forgery and circulation of a false document.
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New revelations in relation to the involvement of the 19-year-old suspect and the 23-year-old were presented on Sunday by the investigators of the ICF Limassol before the Limassol District Court.
The investigation team again took the two suspects to the Court requesting the renewal of their detention for a period of 5 days until the investigative work is completed. The two youths are in custody for the brutal murder of Andreas Kouzoupis and his 38-year-old Slovak friend David Chmelar who were killed on July 30 and found charred on a dirt road in the Litovounos area of Kellaki.
From what was put before the Court today, it is established that the murder was premeditated after obtaining testimony that the 19-year-old confided in a specific person that he would kill Kouzoupis, who he claims threatened him and pressured him to buy a loudspeaker. He also revealed to a person after the murder that he killed the 38-year-old and the 23-year-old was with him. The 19-year-old, in an attempt to disavow his role as a hitman, according to investigators, concealed the clothes he was wearing on the day of the murder and gave others during the first search of his home.
The lawyers of the 19-year-old, George Louizides, Elena Frangou and the lawyer of the 23-year-old, Christos Hadjiloizou, did not object to the request to renew the detention of their clients, since next Friday the case is expected to be registered and referred to the Assize Court.
As heard during today's proceedings by the examiner of the case, during the period since the second detention order of the two suspects, based on a decree on access to telecommunications data as well as a decree on access to private communication for the mobile phones of suspects and victims, three providers received the results of the telecommunications data of their phones, both before and after the double murder was committed.
He heard about threats and told the 23-year-old to help his friend
The preliminary study of the data found that before committing the murder, the 19-year-old suspect had continuous telephone communications with both the 38-year-old Kouzoupis and the 23-year-old suspect, particularly on the day of the murder. Further examinations were carried out and persons with whom both suspects and victims had contact have been identified. According to the examiner, the examinations revealed written testimony from a person that on a specific date when he happened to meet with the suspects, the 19-year-old told him that he was receiving threats from Kouzoupis and then the 23-year-old intervened, asking him for more details while telling him that he would help him. Also, according to the same witness, he heard the 23-year-old mention the word "pistols" and the phrase "you don't know me well".
He called on the night of the murder and revealed that he killed Kouzoupis
Another written testimony obtained, the 19-year-old confided in a specific person that Kouzoupis threatened him and pressured him to buy a loudspeaker and would kill it. In fact, in a telephone conversation between his 19-year-old and this person, on the night of the double murder, he told him that he killed the 38-year-old Kouzoupis and with him was the 23-year-old suspect. She had even told him that she would throw him from a spot in the area of Bandovouno. In a meeting with the 19-year-old after the murder and after the case was known by the media, the 19-year-old confirmed to him the involvement of both himself and his 23-year-old friend.
The investigators of the case obtained testimonies that the 19-year-old during the commission of the murder contacted a person from whom he persistently asked him to help him and supply him with gasoline. According to the testimony, at the time the person called, he was listening to speeches from a second person
It should be noted that during the first search of the 19-year-old's home, clothes and garments had been found and received, which he claimed to have worn during the commission of the murder, but he confessed that he was wearing other similar clothes which he concealed. These were received and sent for scientific examinations.
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Police are investigating a case of throwing a firecracker at the home of a 26-year-old football player in Nicosia.
According to a police spokesman, it was reported around 8:00 pm on Sunday that a window on the façade of the footballer's house had been damaged.
The footballer had left home on Sunday afternoon and on his return found that there was damage to the window.
Examinations were carried out by members of the Police and a pyrotechnic. According to police, a firecracker was found to have exploded and damaged the window.
Tests show the incident took place shortly before 4.30am on Sunday.
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Authorities made numerous arrests in the free province of Famagusta. A 16-year-old was handcuffed and arrested for offences involving drunkenness, causing alarm, public insult and possession of an offensive instrument. Two illegally employed persons and four others were also arrested for illegal possession of cannabis.
As stated by Steve Theodoulou, spokesperson of the Famagusta Police Directorate, "a person aged 16 was arrested for offences of drunkenness, causing alarm, public insult and possession of an offensive instrument and was handled in accordance with the provisions of the Children in Conflict with the Law, Law 55(I)/2021".
Furthermore, "2 persons who were employed illegally in the Republic were arrested and cases against them and their employers are expected to be registered before the court. Also, 4 persons were arrested for illegal possession of a controlled drug class B, namely cannabis."
In the context of dealing with nuisance caused by leisure centres, "checks were carried out by members of the Famagusta OPE and the police stations of Paralimni and Ayia Napa. From the inspections, 20 premises were reported for a total of 49 complaints concerning offenses of operation of leisure centers without a license from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism, without a license from the competent municipal authority, without a license to sell alcoholic beverages, without a license to emit sound, for smoking in places where it is prohibited and for placing objects in a public place.
The checks are carried out in an effort to "more effectively prevent and combat serious and organized crime, increase and strengthen the sense of security, trust and protection of the citizen, control of persons residing and working illegally in the territory of the Republic, the Famagusta Police Authority conducted an operation in Ayia Napa between the dates of 16-18 August, in cooperation with the MMAD, YAM and YKAN Famagusta".
He added that "during the operation, motorized and foot patrols were carried out and there were ambush barricades at various points. As part of the operation, 66 premises were checked and 42 vehicle interceptions were made."
He also noted that "the coordinated operations and actions of the Famagusta Police Directorate for the prevention and suppression of crime and any form of delinquency will continue throughout the summer season."
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The attempt of two persons to supply inmates of the Central Prison with prohibited items failed..
Yesterday afternoon, the aforementioned persons went to the side of the premises of the penitentiary that borders the occupied areas and threw two packages of milk into the prison area.
Inside the packages were mobile phones, which were intended for prisoners. Their plan failed, as prison guards noticed the objects in time, immediately intervening and seizing them. However, the illegals escaped immediately, without being able to be located and arrested.
According to preliminary examinations, the two packages contained a total of three mobile phones. The findings were forwarded to the police for further scientific and other examinations.
As it was established by the initial investigation, the two persons involved in this illegal act were hidden behind trees. In fact, before trying to drop the packages with the phones, they did test throws. A coconut and a rapeseed were found at the scene. Apparently they threw them to see exactly where the recipients would find them.
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Cyprus Mail
A Georgian woman was arrested in the north, after it was found she was wanted by Interpol, the Turkish Cypriot press have reported.
The woman, Shehriban Toptal, is wanted for investigations into organising a criminal organisation. She was arrested in northern Nicosia overnight.
Police in the north said that she is wanted for establishing an organised crime syndicate, illegally purchasing, storing and selling large quantities of narcotics, and laundering illicit income through real estate transactions.
She had previously been declared persona non grata by the ‘cabinet’ in the north. Following her arrest, police said that she will be turned over to Turkish authorities, who will hand her to Interpol.
