Filenews 27 October 2024 - by Fanis Makrides
A case of unimaginable proportions, directly linked to the Middle East and terrorism, has been occupying the Cypriot prosecuting authorities since the beginning of this month.
It arose after the assistance of the Intelligence Service of the Republic and the Office for Combating Terrorism of the Police, while it is handled by the Department for Combating Crimes and specifically by the ICF Headquarters subordinate to it.
But the news is not this, but the seriousness of the information. These bring people of Arab origin, who are settled in Cyprus, to be associated with Islamist organizations with extreme activity. The reason for the well-known from its paramilitary operations in Syria, Al Nusra, which now acts under the name HAYAT TAHRIR AL SHAM (HTS).
At the same time, a person is the subject of police investigations, due to information that he is directly related to the Islamic State (ISIS). The group's action in Syria was accompanied by images of horror when war broke out in Syria more than a decade ago.
Turkey and Hezbollah are also in the picture, but that's not the whole story. The information and details surrounding the case under investigation indicate that on our island there is a network that finances terrorist organizations and that its illegal brain actions even touch the drug trade.
Finally, the Police are investigating possible strikes at specific geographical points.
The "treasurer" of HTS
In the first half of October it became known that the Police, after a coordinated operation, arrested eight persons of Syrian origin in Limassol and Paphos. What has not been widely known is the exact information about the alleged actions of the persons who were arrested.
These initially came from an intelligence service of the Republic and say that one of those arrested, aged 44, has a central role.
He is said to be the treasurer of HAYAT TAHRIR AL SHAM (formerly AL NUSRA) in Cyprus and has connections in northwestern Syria and specifically in Idlib, where the group controls areas and appears to have a large number of rebel forces.
Cypriot law enforcement sources show that he has networked in other countries of the Middle East and even established himself in them.
€50,000 weekly
In fact, the sums allegedly sent by the 44-year-old to the neighbouring country are large. Based on what was put to the Police by a source, which is characterized as valid and tested, sends the organization up to €50,000 per week.
