Pafos Live 23 October 2024
A new search operation in shops, this time in the Paphos district, where products of controlled pharmaceutical and narcotic substances were found and confiscated, was carried out by members of the Police, in cooperation with officers of the Ministry of Health.
The coordinated search operation was conducted shortly before noon yesterday, in two stores, pursuant to a court search warrant. Members of the Intellectual Property Theft and Illegal Betting Branch, the Cybercrime Subdivision, the Police Headquarters, members of the Anti-Narcotics Service – YKAN Pafos, members of the Pegeia Police Station, as well as officers of the Pharmaceutical Services of the Ministry of Health participated in the investigations.
In the first store, 26 packages containing green dry plant matter, believed to be cannabis, with a total gross weight of approximately 26 grams, were found and seized for further examination.
In the second store, 17 packages containing green dry plant matter, believed to be cannabis, with a total gross weight of approximately 43 grams, were located and seized for further examination. They also found 35 cigarettes, which contained traces of green dry plant matter, believed to be cannabis, mixed with manufactured tobacco, as well as seven packs, containing three cigarettes each, indicating that CBD was contained.
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Filenews
The chorus of arrests is growing in connection with the human trafficking and pimping ring, which was dismantled by investigators from the Police Anti-Trafficking Office. A 27-year-old foreigner from Nigeria, who allegedly also had a specific role in the ring, was arrested in the early hours of Tuesday (22/10).
According to reliable information of Filenews, two people are wanted in the case, who, according to the testimonies so far in the hands of investigators, are considered to be the masterminds of the ring.
The 27-year-old suspect was brought today (22/10) before the Limassol District Court, with investigators from the Anti-Trafficking Office requesting her detention for a period of 4 days. For her part, the suspect's lawyer, Teresa Christoforou, did not object to the request and the court ordered her to be remanded in custody.
The case, which was brought to light by Filenews, seems to have depth from the investigations so far, with the tentacles of the human trafficking ring reaching as far as Nigeria.
Investigators in the case traced the 27-year-old after thorough investigations made through ads posted on a well-known online platform. There, according to our website, 13 ads of erotic services were posted, which were paid with the suspect's bank card.
The online payments of the 13 ads were made from April 2024 until recently, while investigations into the 27-year-old's involvement in the case go back about a year.
Under questioning, the 27-year-old denied any involvement in the case and claimed she was giving her bank card to another person who told her she needed the card to pay online for some purchases and he gave her the money in cash.
Investigations are continuing at an intensive pace so that investigators can trace the other people involved in the case. Part and role in the ring seems to have persons who arranged for renting apartments, posting ads on the online platform as well as securing clothes and accessories for the victims' "services".
The puzzle of the case is complex and difficult, as the investigations so far show that the victims of the trafficking and pimping ring arrived illegally in Cyprus, without their real details being traced anywhere. In fact, from the examinations so far, women's names as well as erotic ads have been found in various documents.
It is recalled that investigators handcuffed last Friday afternoon (18/10) a 32-year-old (2nd suspect) from Nigeria, who seems to have had a hierarchical role in the ring. This is a woman who recruited the 1st suspect along with the identified victim, to be extradited along with other young foreign women in an apartment in Limassol.
Update - One by one, the pieces of the puzzle behind the human trafficking ring are being put together by investigators from the Police's Anti-Trafficking Office.
Developments around the serious case are rapid, with investigators making another arrest this morning. He is the first male suspect to be arrested and brought before the Court on the same day for a detention order.
According to Filenews, the 29-year-old foreigner, a football player of a third division team residing in Limassol, was arrested at 9:30 in the morning after a court warrant was pending against him. After he was brought before the Court without representation by a lawyer, the judge granted his request for detention for a period of three days.
The 29-year-old allegedly had a role as administrator of the erotic ads, with an active role in the ring. He managed the erotic ads, which he posted on a well-known online platform, and using both his own bank card and that of the 27-year-old suspect, who was arrested yesterday, he paid to display the victims' ads.
Investigators traced the suspect, as well as the 27-year-old, who has been detained since yesterday, after thorough searches through ads posted on the platform. By midday on Wednesday, four arrests had been made, and one more person was wanted.
According to Filenews, 13 advertisements for erotic services had been posted, which were paid with the suspect's bank card. It is recalled that the case was revealed by Filenews with a report last Friday.
The trafficking and pimping ring began to unravel last May, when the Anti-Trafficking Office received information from the Larnaca ICF that a woman, a victim of trafficking, asked for help, initially reporting that her belongings had been stolen.
During interrogation, the woman revealed that she arrived in Cyprus with the help of the first suspect. The four suspects are being investigated for felony and misdemeanor conspiracy to commit a felony, adult trafficking, sexual exploitation, money laundering, brothel keeping, pimping and exploitation of prostitutes.
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A personal debt led 40-year-old Yasser Arar to participate in the murderous plan against 34-year-old Dimitris Andronikos, who lost his life on May 28, 2024 after the three gunshots he received (23/4/2024) on the Palaichori-Anthoupoli road.
This follows from the process of presenting the facts before the Assize Court this afternoon, for sentencing purposes. As it is known, Arar will be the main prosecution witness, after admitting that he was the driver of the motorcycle during the execution of the murder plan against "Andronikos".
The spokeswoman of the prosecution, Christia Kythreotou, citing before the Assize Court the facts for sentencing purposes, said that according to Arar's testimony, he agreed to participate in a plan to intimidate a person, after carrying a second person trying to locate the 34-year-old victim.
However, as reported, Arar realized that the passenger of the motorcycle was armed and that it was an assassination plot.
When he was arrested, according to the facts read out by Kythreotou, Arar, who is married and father of three, pleaded guilty from the first statement he received.
When the 40-year-old was asked by the president of the bench, Nicholas A. P. Georgiadis, if he had anything to say, the prosecution witness replied that he felt bad about his mistake, added that he had admitted, apologized and made himself available to the court. Please note that he is not represented by a lawyer.
The Assize Court scheduled Arar's sentencing proceedings for next Friday.
Previously, the three-judge judiciary rejected the recommendation to sentence defendants 3, 4 and 5 (30-year-old Omar Suleiman, 28-year-old Mohammad al-Agha "Hamada" and 26-year-old Mohammad Kasab) along with Arar. The latter, with an affidavit, acquitted the first two defendants, "Sifis" and "Spyros", and attributed the planning of the murder to 30-year-old Omar Suleiman.
The Assize Court, in today's lengthy proceedings, also rejected the request of the lawyers of the first two defendants ("Sifis" and "Spyros") to be released on parole, due to divergent elements in the case.
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The number of arrests made by the police for the fight in Finikoudes rose to four.
The incident took place last Saturday evening, October 19, in the area of Finikoudes in Larnaka.
Three 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old were detained to facilitate interrogations. The first 17-year-old was arrested under a court warrant on October 20. The next day he was brought before the Larnaca District Court, which ordered his four-day detention to facilitate interrogations.
Yesterday, the investigators of the Larnaca ICF made three more arrests to facilitate the investigative work. They are two 17-year-olds and an 18-year-old who had outstanding court warrants for their arrest.
The three were detained and are expected to be brought before the Larnaca District Court today for a detention order.
The scuffle occurred around 9.40pm. of 19 October, on Athinon Avenue, in Larnaka. According to the evidence under investigation, a group of about ten persons, under circumstances investigated by the police, clashed with five other persons, who were in a restaurant in the area.
No injuries were reported from the fight, while chairs and tables in the restaurant were damaged.
The ICF of Larnaca is investigating the case.
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Loaded with gas laughing cylinders, a young woman was found last night in Limassol.
According to the Police, last night, at around 20:30, members of the Limassol OPE in Ypsonas stopped for a formal check a vehicle driven by a 22-year-old Greek Cypriot woman from Limassol.
During the search of her vehicle, a total of 224 vials of nitrous oxide gas (Laughing Gas) were found and seized as evidence, the possession of which is not allowed without permission.
The 22-year-old was arrested for a flagrant offence and, after being questioned, was charged in writing and released.
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Overnight the battle of the fire brigades with the resurgences but also on the fiery front that until late continued to rage in an inaccessible place south of the Kouris dam.
In statements to Filenews, the Chief of the Fire Brigade, Nikos Longinos, said that this is clearly a malicious act. He explained that the fire started on the side of the road near the Kouris dam.
According to information provided by Filenews, there is information in the hands of the police authorities from citizens, who spoke of a vehicle that was seen in the area and specifically at the starting point of the fire.
The fire broke out shortly after 7pm yesterday, with fire brigades put on red alert. Due to strong winds, the fire developed quickly in a rough spot under the dam, which made it difficult for fire trucks to approach.
Shortly after 9:30 p.m., the fire was contained, except for an inaccessible area south of the dam. The Limassol District Officer, as well as the Chief Fire Brigade of the Fire Brigade, rushed to the spot for better coordination.
The Minister of Justice, Marios Hartsiotis, also arrived at the fire front, who was briefed on the development of the fire and on actions on the part of the Police.
It should be noted that, due to the increased flow of rural fires observed in recent days, the Chief Marshal, in consultation with the Chief of Police, decided to increase patrols by the two Security Forces.
In addition, the UAS (unmanned aircraft) team of the Hellenic Fire Service intensifies, under the instructions of the Chief Marshal, patrols for the surveillance of areas of increased risk and increased number of fires.
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Cyprus Mail
A civilian chased and immobilised a 51-year-old suspect for burglary and theft from a house, on Tuesday in Limassol.
The suspect was found to be wanted for five cases and may be involved in two other cases of burglary and theft from houses.
Police said the incident happened on Tuesday at around 10.20am, when a 47-year-old saw a suspicious person inside his parent’s home in the city centre.
The suspect fled when he realised he had been spotted.
The 47-year-old chased the suspect, along with another person, and managed to immobilise him.
In his effort to get away, the suspect appears to have bitten the 47-year-old, however the police arrived and arrested him.
Police found a bag with jewellery and money in the 51-year-old’s possession.
They also found windows had been forced open and that €850 worth of jewellery and other items were missing.
There were other pending warrants against the suspect for burglaries and arson committed between 2014 and 2018, after which he seems to have fled to the north.
Police are continuing investigations.
