Pafos Live 30 November 2024
The Pafos Permanent Assize Court yesterday imposed concurrent prison sentences of 12 years on a 38-year-old woman who, after a trial of a drug trafficking case, was found guilty of the offences of importing and possessing drugs with intent to supply to another person.
The case concerns the importation of a quantity of cannabis with a gross weight of 16 kg. The quantity of cannabis was found in the possession of the 38-year-old and in the possession of a 56-year-old man, who was also given a 12-year prison sentence on February 13, 2024, during the trial of the case. The two had arrived at Paphos airport, on a flight from abroad, in July, 2023, carrying in their luggage, the large quantity of cannabis.
On July 09, 2023, upon their arrival at Paphos Airport, the 38-year-old and the 56-year-old were subjected to a check by customs officers, in cooperation with members of the Anti-Narcotics Service – YKAN, in the context of the coordinated actions taken by the Police and the Department of Customs, in order to combat drug trafficking and identify persons importing drugs into Cyprus. During the search, 16 nylon packages containing a quantity of cannabis, with a total gross weight of 16 kg and 287 grams, were found in the luggage of the 38-year-old and the 56-year-old.
The 38-year-old and 56-year-old were arrested for flagrant offences and detained for police examinations, while the quantity of drugs was confiscated. Laboratory tests showed that it was a quantity of cannabis with a net weight of 13 kg and 957 grams.
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Filenews
A serious and at the same time unprecedented case is expected to be heard before the Permanent Assize Court of Limassol in early 2025, according to exclusive information provided by "F". The events that unfolded in early September 2024 could be a crime movie script. What the two complainants experienced is nightmarish. They were kidnapped, tied up and blindfolded, taken to an area of Nicosia district, where they were stripped naked and threats made against them to be killed with a gun.
The defendant in the case is a 29-year-old Syrian man who faces 10 charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, kidnapping a person, possession of a firearm, burglary of a dwelling, assault and threatening behaviour. The accused, following yesterday's decision of the Court, was taken to the Central Prison as an undertrial, while another person is wanted for the case, who has already been named and another is being sought.
According to the facts presented during the referral process, these took place on 8 and 9 September, when 3 perpetrators with their faces covered with hoods broke into a house in Limassol, where they kidnapped two Syrians. They were then placed in the trunk of a car and taken to an area of Nicosia after being tied up and gagged. Then, at gunpoint, they forced the two persons to take off their clothes and beat them with the handle of the gun, while threatening to kill them. In fact, one of the perpetrators, according to one complainant, had threatened to hand them over to the Turks if they went to the police for a complaint.
The threats were not enough, the perpetrators after filming and photographing the two persons, then transferred them to another place, where they abandoned them. The police were then notified, with one complainant making a complaint about what happened, while the second did not want to talk about what he experienced. After a few days, the complainant went to the police again, wanting to withdraw the complaint, saying that members of his family met with persons of the kidnappers and reconciled.
Despite the fact that the complainant wished to withdraw the complaint, the case was forwarded to the Legal Service, where instructions were given to register it and refer it for trial to the Limassol Assize Court. As regards the 29-year-old defendant, several criminal cases are pending against him, one of which concerns similar offences, such as rioting, possession of a firearm and cartridges, and money laundering.
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A fight of about 20 people occurred around 03:00 in the morning on Saturday in a beer garden in Larnaka, on the coastal front of Finikoudes, resulting in minor injuries and two arrests.
According to the police, a group of people of Polish origin, namely Legia fans who depart tomorrow, after consuming a quantity of alcohol and for unknown reasons so far, were caught in a fight with other patrons of the premises.
According to the information, the security guards led the people out of the premises but they continued to fight. Members of the Police rushed to the spot and as a result those involved fled.
Immediately afterwards, members of the force carried out patrols in the area, where they spotted a 29-year-old man hiding in a nearby parking lot. A police officer approached the 29-year-old and as a result the latter attacked him. The young man was arrested and detained.
Then, in the same area, a group of people was again seen arguing. As soon as they noticed the patrols, the suspects fled again, but officers managed to arrest a 42-year-old man.
The two arrested are of Polish origin and will appear today before the Larnaca District Court for a detention order.
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A vehicle owned by a 53-year-old man was engulfed in flames at midnight on Friday (29/11) in Nicosia.
The Fire Brigade rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire, while the vehicle, which was parked in an open parking lot in Aglantzia, was completely destroyed.
According to the police, initial indications indicate that this is a malicious act.
Authorities will carry out further tests this morning to clarify the cause.
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Chills and anger cause a new horrific case of sexual abuse of a minor in Limassol, which is revealed by Filenews. A shock case that has been investigated in the strictest secrecy for months by investigators from the Child Sexual Abuse Investigation Branch of the Police Headquarters, revealing unimaginable acts of horror.
The defendant in the case is a 29-year-old man who allegedly sexually abused a minor for a long time. The nightmare and abuse of the minor victim began in 2023, when he was still at the sensitive age of 15, that is, during his adolescence.
The case was brought before the Limassol District Court last week, with investigators requesting the 29-year-old's detention.
The tangle of the case began to unravel when the accused came to the police to report his beating by the minor (victim) and other persons. However, the truth that was later revealed was chilling. When the minor was called to testify, he revealed the horrific torment he had suffered at the hands of the accused. He broke his silence and revealed the dark aspects of what he was experiencing. The case took another turn with the direct involvement of the Child Sexual Abuse Investigation Branch. Investigations and statements followed, and then with the evidence gathered against the 29-year-old, his arrest emerged.
Yesterday, Friday (29/11), as Filenews is authoritatively informed, the investigators of the case took the young man back to Court and proceeded to register and refer the chilling case for trial before the Permanent Assize Court of Limassol. The case was set for hearing early in the new year, but the defendant remains free under strict conditions.
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in-cyprus
A former teacher at a private institute, now 75, was handed a three year jail term for sexually harassing an underage female student twenty two years ago, in a majority decision at a Limassol Criminal Court hearing, conducted behind closed doors to protect the victim.
According to Filenews sources, out of the three member panel of judges, two found the man to be guilty beyond reasonable doubt and one differentiated their position. The former teacher was convicted of indecent assaults and other charges based on the Law On Prevention and Fighting Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation, before the said legislation was amended, as the crimes were committed 22 years ago.
Defence lawyers are set to file an appeal both on the conviction, as well as the jail term that was handed down. The case was brought to light in 2022, when the victim decided to speak out and disclose details of the indecent assaults that took place between 2000 and 2002 when she was 16.
According to reliable Filenews sources, the woman in question, now working for α key government service, said she was finally able to overcome the psychological scars after reporting the incident to authorities. Despite the sensitive nature of the charges against him, the now convicted teacher had been released prior to the court’s decision, subject to a number of conditions.
