Pafos Live 20 February 2025
Buried in the ground, in a plastic water tank, hid the 37.5 kilos of cannabis the 55-year-old Greek Cypriot who was arrested last night after an operation by members of the anti-narcotics service.
Yesterday afternoon, in an area of Paphos, members of the Anti-Narcotics Service stopped the 55-year-old for inspection, in whose possession was found a package containing a quantity of cannabis weighing about one kilogram.
Earlier, the suspect had been seen in a field in the area of Panagia village digging into the ground and receiving the package.
A search of the area followed, where a tank with another 29 packages containing green dry cannabis plant matter was found buried in the ground.
In total, a quantity of cannabis weighing approximately 37 kg and approximately 451 grams was located and seized.
The 55-year-old was arrested on the basis of a court warrant and today he is expected to be brought before the Pafos District Court for a detention order.
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Filenews
The investigations of the ICF of Limassol are ongoing since the morning in relation to the arson of a vehicle belonging to a 70-year-old Greek Cypriot, in the area of Kapsalos in Limassol.
The fire was caused by arson, with the unknown perpetrators putting their plan into action around 3:10 a.m. According to information provided by Philenews, according to testimony obtained by the authorities, the perpetrators were on a motorcycle, threw an object at the vehicle and then a fire broke out.
The fire completely destroyed the 70-year-old's vehicle, while two other vehicles parked right next to him were affected.
The 70-year-old complainant gave a statement to the investigators of the ICF of Limassol regarding the criminal act against him, while investigations focus on identifying CCTV in the wider area, which may have recorded the movements of the perpetrators.
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A case was registered before a District Court last Tuesday against a police officer who was arrested on 21/01/2025 for the following offenses:
- Unlawful acquisition of pecuniary advantage
- Theft by a Public Officer
- Abuse of power
- Deception and abuse of trust by a public official
- Offences related to the Anti-Money Laundering Prevention Law
This member of the Police will remain suspended until the conclusion of the court proceedings.
The case was investigated by the Police Internal Audit Service (Y.E.E.A.)
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The developments in the case of the group of "80", which declare entities, affiliation to the American flag and do not recognize the Republic of Cyprus and its institutions, were rapid during yesterday.
As it became known yesterday, one of the arrested persons, the 62-year-old, since Tuesday has been hospitalized under a decree of compulsory psychiatric hospitalization. The second development has to do with the fact that the detention order for the 43-year-old suspect, partner of the first, was renewed for another 8 days. In addition, the ICF Headquarters arrested a 72-year-old man for complicity after committing an offence, while in the morning hours today the Police proceeded to arrest two persons, a 45-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman. The two face the offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony, publication of false news, impersonation, threatening, drawing up and circulating a false document, participation in a criminal organization, etc.
Most importantly, however, the ICF Headquarters has now obtained testimonies supporting the scenario that leaders who espouse the American philosophy of "Sovereign Citizen" were financially exploiting people with problematic loan contracts.
According to these testimonies, the 62-year-old and the wanted man, 45-year-old Kostas Patsalidis, told people with troubled loan agreements that they would help them handle their affairs with financial institutions and loan servicing companies. Posing as "federal officials" appointed by the Postman General of the Planet, they explained to desperate borrowers their military-code philosophy And -finally- they persuaded the latter to send documents and writings to organizations that handled their loans with these strange positions about non-recognition of their debts.
The issue, however, is that the testimonies show that citizens trusted the above, which are characterized as farcical, and even gave small financial returns. According to the citizens who, under the difficult circumstances, trusted the above, they were asked to pay amounts from €50 to €750 to 62-year-old F.S. and 45-year-old Kostas Patsalidis.
It is no coincidence that the Police are now investigating against the suspects the offences of obtaining goods by false representations and money laundering.
The testimonials
The above, as we had noted in our previous reports, were suspicions of the ICF Headquarters officials, which, however, are now supported by testimonies.
Analytically:
> On 12/2/25 a statement was received from a woman, who reports that she lost her house to fire and was dissatisfied with the relevant actions of the Police. In July 2024, a familiar face referred her to the 62-year-old. He told her that he and others were helping people who lost their homes due to foreclosures and had non-performing loans. She had a meeting with the 62-year-old at his home, where he told her his ideology, without her being convinced. The 62-year-old requested and received the sum of €50.
> Another person, in testimony given to ICF Headquarters, said she had a non-performing loan and that she was convinced by the 62-year-old's words that he could help her. She said, among other things, that she sent documents to agencies and organizations because she really believed what the arrested man said and that he would really help her with the problem with her loan. The arrested man, she said, asked her for the sum of €200. She initially paid him €130 in cash. The remaining amount, namely €70, was given by a friend in cash and the latter sent it via her mobile phone to the partner of the arrested, the 43-year-old suspect.
> A man with a non-performing loan testified to police that he was persuaded by the wanted Patsalides to send writings and other documents with the curious ideology to organizations. He said he gave the 45-year-old €125 "for issuing an identity card" and that the wanted man asked for €750 to send him the books with the ideology of the "alliance". She gave him €300 in two meetings. She did not send him the rest of the money. This was also confirmed by the wife of the aforementioned with the non-performing loan.
> On 13/2/25 the ICF Headquarters received testimony from another person, who admitted that he had doubts about the coronavirus vaccines. A third person put him in contact with the 62-year-old arrested man. The latter told him various things about the "American" army. In the end, the person in question gave the 62-year-old the sum of €50.
> Indicative of the desperation of citizens, was the testimony of two persons to the Police the day before yesterday. They admitted that they had been persuaded by the wanted man and the 62-year-old arrested man to send these books and report on entities. They are people who have fallen into dire financial straits. They claim they did not read or understand what the "alliance" was sending and giving them, but believed that the 62-year-old would help them with their loan.
One was sent for psychiatric treatment, one arrest and two warrants
> The 62-year-old arrested man, who allegedly played a leading role in the organization along with 45-year-old wanted man Costas Patsalides, received a psychiatric evaluation the previous two days and the Nicosia District Court issued a decree "for compulsory hospitalization in a psychiatric center of safe temporary duration". A government psychiatrist who examined the 62-year-old arrested at the request of the police came up with specific findings, on the basis of which the decree was secured yesterday. These findings are known to us, however, for ethical reasons we believe that recording them does not serve the purposes of journalism.
> The day before yesterday, a 72-year-old man was arrested. According to police, the 45-year-old wanted man was found at the latter's home from where he prepared one of his videos that he made public. The 72-year-old said at the time of his arrest: "I feel injustice and shame." Offences relating to aiding and abetting the commission of an offence and interference with judicial proceedings are being investigated against him.
> Two arrest warrants were issued for two persons allegedly involved in the case under investigation.
> The procedure for examining the request for renewal of the detention order against the 43-year-old suspect began yesterday shortly before noon and ended in the early afternoon. The lawyer of the 43-year-old suspect, Christos Neophytou, cross-examining the investigator of the ICF Headquarters, Anastasia Commander, submitted that what was reported does not indicate his client's involvement with the offences under investigation. On the contrary, based on the positions of the public prosecutor, Eleni Constantinou, the reasonable suspicions in relation to the 43-year-old are supported by the testimony of the Police so far and therefore the relevant request for the renewal of her detention is justified. The District Judge, Andreas Loizou, finally approved the Police's request to detain the 43-year-old suspect for eight days.
The profile of the suspects
The 62-year-old in his interrogation statement at the ICF Headquarters on 16/2 said that he acted voluntarily with the wanted person for the good of Cyprus, without any benefit, but received money for their time. He made the same claims that he was the "General Postman of the Planet" alliance and that he was under the American flag. He said he and the wanted Patsalides are the only federal officials. He says the 43-year-old suspect, who he said is his partner, was not involved in the alliance. The 43-year-old was questioned in writing the same day. She exercised her right to remain silent. She was shown documents bearing her signature, but either did not recognise them or exercised her right to remain silent. She refused to consent to her psychiatric evaluation.
The 62-year-old has four outstanding fine warrants since 2008 (amounting to €1,185). He has not worked since 30/11/2013. Patsalides has three outstanding fine warrants since 2016 (€1,204). He is the registered owner of 10 motor vehicles that have either been declared immobilized or have not been issued for several years. Since 3/8/20 he is self-employed, does not pay social insurance contributions and a relevant case is pending against him.
The 43-year-old suspect shows no inconsistency in her obligations as a citizen. Her employer testified (15/2) that she is very hardworking.
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A prison sentence was imposed in another serious case of sexual abuse of a minor with an accused young person. The Permanent Assize Court of Limassol, in closed proceedings, sentenced the defendant to three years in prison for three counts of sexual abuse of a minor, where he had been found guilty after a hearing.
The offences were committed between April and May 2023 in the Limassol district. According to the minor, while she was with her friends at a café in Germasogeia, one of them suggested that she meet the 21-year-old. The minor accepted and a short time later, the accused arrived at the scene and picked her up and her friends, heading to a viewpoint in Limassol.
At one point, the 21-year-old began committing lewd acts against the 14-year-old in his vehicle in the presence of her two friends. Then, after stopping at the point of view, he continued the abuse of the minor, forcing her to carry out acts that cause revulsion. The 14-year-old claimed in her complaint that she was a victim of rape, however, this was not substantiated.
The 21-year-old defendant remained free on parole and after his conviction where he was found guilty he was taken to the Central Prison.
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Intensive checks by the Game and Fauna Service continue to crack down on illegal hunting, with authorities reporting a total of 11 people for various violations.
Yesterday, three hunters were spotted hunting in restricted areas. Two of them were reported in the area of the community of Analiontas, while the third person was found hunting in the community of Choirokoitia, illegally using a sound generating device that emits wild bird songs.
In addition, seven more people were reported for violations of hunting laws. Of these, three people were found to be illegally using sound-generating devices, while another four people were charged with carrying a disassembled shotgun out of a holster in a vehicle. In fact, two of the alleged individuals have previously engaged the authorities and are alleged to have made provocative posts on social media in the past.
In a separate incident, reported early this morning, a man was found in the area of Agios Theodoros in Larnaka trapping birds with nets and a sound production device. Authorities confiscated two nets, a sound-producing device, and five freshly killed birds, while nine more trapped live birds were released.
Controls to protect wildlife and ensure compliance with hunting legislation will continue unabated.
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Cyprus Mail
A 60-year-old man was remanded on Thursday for two days in connection with the illegal possession of duty-free tobacco products.
The suspect had been stopped by police in his car “in a joint coordinated operation” of the Nicosia and Larnaca police departments in the Larnaca area on Wednesday.
An on-the-spot search of the vehicle and a village warehouse maintained by the man revealed large quantities of duty-free tobacco products.
Larnaca District Court heard that 3,016 boxes of cigarettes, 487 boxes of heated cigarettes, more than 120kg of tobacco and 1kg of hookah tobacco were confiscated by the authorities.
