Pafos Live 21 October 2025
The Anti-Narcotics Service – YKAN, in the context of international cooperation with Services of other countries, proceeded to seize a quantity of methamphetamine – Crystal Meth, weighing approximately 360 grams and to arrest two persons, against whom their participation in a drug trafficking ring and drug import into Cyprus is being investigated.
The amount of methamphetamine was found in a postal parcel. As part of a coordinated operation carried out by YKAN today in the province of Larnaca, in relation to the parcel in question, a 30-year-old man was arrested, to facilitate investigations.
The arrest of the 30-year-old was followed by a search of his home, where the members of YKAN located and retained various evidence, such as a tobacco syringe with traces of a crystal substance, believed to be methamphetamine, a precision scale with traces of a white substance, a crusher with traces of cannabis, a small amount of cannabis plant matter, weighing 0,4 grams, and a bottle with a liquid substance, the composition of which is being investigated.
The search was carried out in the presence of a second person, a 31-year-old man, who also lives in the house. Upon locating the evidence in the house, the members of YKAN proceeded to arrest the 31-year-old, for the purpose of police examinations.
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Posts circulating on social media speak of attacks against women in the area of Amathus in Limassol, calling on women to be especially careful when travelling.
According to information from the Police, since October 16, three separate complaints have been recorded from women who were allegedly attacked in the wider area.
The first case concerns indecent assault, the second appears to be related to an attempted indecent assault – possibly a hug, while the third case concerns physical assault.
All three cases have been reported to the Police and are under investigation by the relevant departments. According to the first information, the suspects appear to be foreigners, but so far they have not been identified.
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Filenews
Two of the five Greek Cypriots who have been illegally detained by the occupying authorities since July 19 are scheduled to appear again before the "district court" in occupied Trikomo today, Tuesday, at 11:30 am.
It is recalled that during the previous "hearing" on October 1, the "court" decided to withdraw the "charges" related to "illegal entry into foreign property" and "causing concern" following a proposal by the "prosecuting authority" while the procedure for the "accusation" of "violation of personal data" against two of the Greek Cypriots continued with the "prosecution" asking for time.
The 3 against whom the complaints were withdrawn remain in the occupied territories since the process against them in the "military court" continues.
Besides, after yesterday's proceedings before a "military court", it was set that on November 7 the decision in the case of the five Greek Cypriots accused of "illegal entry into a military zone of the first degree" will be announced.
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Genetic material was found on the motorcycle and its driver's hat that are allegedly related to the gangster murder of Stavros Demosthenous in Limassol and in the event of identification, then they may give a new twist to the investigations.
The Police managed to isolate DNA from the hat that was found at the scene with the burned van and seems to have been worn by the driver of the motorcycle with which the perpetrators of the murder escaped, as well as the motorcycle which they abandoned in Agios Tychonas.
Especially for the motorcycle, it seems that the perpetrators intended to set it on fire as well as they did with the white van, a little earlier. However, their plans were ruined by the Police helicopter, which was in the area for another reason and when it was given the message about the wanted motorcycle and where it moved, it immediately rushed to the area. It is for this reason that the perpetrators abandoned the bike in makeshift camouflage and escaped by another means.
The investigative authorities have in their hands a series of elements that push the investigations in a specific direction and finally the initial assessment that it was an excellently planned crime is overturned. The execution may be attributed to a professional executioner, which is why all the shots he fired went to Demosthenous and left his 18-year-old son who was sitting next to him and who was not a target intact, however, the escape plan, although followed, was in the waters, since the Police moved quickly, helped by the helicopter, the citizens and the mistakes of the perpetrators: First their hats fell off, which shows that they were not wearing hoods so as not to catch the eyes of the citizens (as happened in the murder of Kalogeropoulos) and then they hastily abandoned the bike, an action that can be a catalyst for the investigations.
Also, the fact that 72 hours after the murder the Police proceeded to arrest four suspects, even though they are all allegedly related to the motorcycle which is estimated to have been used for the escape of the perpetrators, then this shows that the testimony is being properly evaluated. Motives and instigators may not yet be known.
The results of the analyses of the genetic material by the Institute of Neurology and Genetics may determine the next steps of the investigators, since people may be connected to scenes and evidence, which will give new impetus to the efforts to solve this brutal murder. Today we are expected to have decisive developments in the case that has shocked the whole of Cyprus, mainly for the way the killers acted and the point in time they decided to execute in their plans, defying that they were endangering innocent lives.
Update:
With methodical actions and using material from closed circuit surveillance, the investigators of the Limassol Police Department are trying to unravel the tangle behind the mafia execution of Stavros Demosthenous. As "F" revealed last Saturday, another vehicle is involved in the case, which is located at all three crime scenes.
Authorities have arrested four suspects, who appear to have a role in the case. In addition to the 44-year-old former football player and owner of the motorcycle that appears to have been used in the murder, a 59-year-old and a 30-year-old man from Nicosia, as well as a 39-year-old man of Greek origin, a resident of Limassol, were also arrested. The latter is said to have a key role, as he is recorded in closed surveillance circuits in all three scenes, in the previous days before the murder of the 49-year-old businessman.
The three suspects were brought before the Limassol Court yesterday morning, under draconian security measures, accompanied by armed members of the EAO and OPE, wearing bulletproof vests. Despite the objections of the lawyers of the 59-year-old and the 39-year-old, the Court approved the request of the Police and ordered their 8-day detention.
The double cabin and the presence of the 39-year-old in all scenes – The key jersey
According to evidence put before the Court, the 39-year-old is located in all three scenes of the case. His vehicle, a double cabin with a characteristic grille and exhaust, was found in close proximity to the scene of the murder at the critical time. Immediately after the murder, he is recorded following the van and the motorcycle to the scene of the arson and then moving away to a different route. According to the material, he seems to be following the escape route to the point where the perpetrators hid the motorcycle and there he allegedly picks them up.
The investigator of the Limassol Police Department, Lieutenant Elias Kreouzos, revealed that the suspect was also located outside his vehicle, close to the scene of the murder, wearing black long pants and a yellow shirt, an element that, as he said, strengthens his involvement in the case. In addition, the same vehicle was recorded moving near the victim's home in the previous days, as was the van used in the murder. He even noted that the security cameras from the victim's home will also be checked.
Cover-up instructions and a monetary offer to the 44-year-old
According to the investigator, persons allegedly contacted the 44-year-old former footballer by phone after the murder, urging him to claim that he knew nothing about the case. He was even offered a sum of money and was instructed to report to the Police that the motorcycle had been stolen.
The suspects' allegations and key evidence
Regarding the three suspects, the 59-year-old denies any involvement and has given specific allegations, which are being investigated. The 30-year-old chose not to answer the investigators' questions, asking to testify in the presence of his lawyer. The 39-year-old, although he denies involvement in the case, places himself at the crime scenes, giving allegations about his movements on the day of the murder. His allegations are under investigation.
Important evidence was found from the homes of the three suspects, which, according to investigators, is expected to shed light on the case. These items will be subjected to scientific examinations, while at the same time the telecommunications data from the mobile phones of all those involved will be analyzed. In the hands of the investigative team of the TAE Limassol there is voluminous material from closed surveillance circuits, while examinations are being carried out to locate additional material from areas of Nicosia and Limassol for a long time.
Two mobile phones were taken from the 59-year-old's home. Two black motorcycle helmets and a mobile phone were confiscated from the 30-year-old's home. A mobile phone, a fluorescent yellow jersey, the same as the one he allegedly wore on the day of the crime, as well as the double-cab vehicle in question, were found in the 39-year-old's home. The specific vehicle was taken to the Limassol Police Department, where it will be thoroughly examined by the Criminal Investigation Service.
A case of premeditated murder, conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, arson of a vehicle, possession, transport and use of a firearm and explosives, as well as theft of a car are being investigated against the suspects. So far, the Police have received 23 statements and conducted 8 investigations, while 83 more statements are expected. At the same time, material from closed surveillance circuits is being examined to map the course of the escape of the vehicles and the motorcycle. In addition, two new investigations have been scheduled to locate and collect evidence that, according to the authorities, are directly linked to the case.
The 30-year-old had escaped from detention centers
The two persons from Nicosia, as we were told, are known to the authorities, unlike the 39-year-old, who is not said to have bothered them. One of the two Greek Cypriots, the 30-year-old, has previously occupied the authorities. In 2024, he had escaped from the Lakatamia police detention center, in a way that had highlighted the security gaps. He had removed glass bricks from his detention area, with the help of an iron bar that he had removed from a toilet in the detention center.
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The criminal case involving the German real estate agent, Eva Isabella Kuunzel, who is accused of usurping Greek Cypriot properties in the occupied territories, as well as a number of other offenses, is facing the possibility of a new trial within a trial.
The proceedings continued on Monday before the Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia, following the decision of October 8, by which the Court rejected critical evidence obtained by the Police, judging them as a product of violation of the constitutional rights of the accused.
In particular, it was ruled that the search of her luggage and the seizure of objects were carried out in violation of the Constitution, making the presumptions "unconstitutional" and "impermissible".
The accused, who also attended the proceedings today with the help of a translator, faces 46 charges, including promotion and advertising of illegal transactions, illegal use of property of Greek Cypriots in the occupied territories in the period 2023-2024 and money laundering.
The prosecution, represented by Anna Mattheou, called the witness Dimitra Stavrou, Chief Sergeant of the TAE Headquarters, to the stand.
This move caused an immediate objection from the defense attorney, Sotiris Argyrou, who argued that this testimony cannot continue, as it is a consequence of the illegal actions of the Police during the arrest of the accused.
Mr. Argyrou argued that the testimony is the result of illegal actions of the Police and therefore constitutes "the fruit of a poisoned tree", pointing out that after the rejection of the evidence, all subsequent actions lack a legal basis.
He pointed out that if the said presumptions that the prosecuting authority is trying to submit were acquired before the Court's decision, they may be able to be taken into account.
"If they were acquired afterwards, the entire chain of actions of the Police must collapse," he said.
The prosecution attempted to submit the list of trafficking of evidence, which includes digital discs received by witness Stavrou.
However, Ms. Mattheou admitted that the witness does not know their exact contents, which caused a new objection from the defense.
Moreover, the tension peaked when the prosecution attempted to submit the text of Kuunzel's investigative testimony, taken on July 11, 2024 in German, requesting the deletion of specific questions and answers related to the rejected evidence.
Ms. Mattheou proposed to the Court to remove a number of questions and answers, related to the rejected presumptions from the decision of the trial within the trial, so that the rest of the text can be submitted as presumption.
The defendant's defense lawyer expressed serious reservations about the process, stating to the Court that "this is a testimony that can incriminate the accused and is based on documents obtained after her illegal arrest", asking for time to comment on the objection.
Mr. Argyrou said that his position "is completely contrary to the prosecution".
"It brings us to this stage by surprise and I would like to take a position. It is the entirety of the investigative testimony that the Court has before it. The documents were taken after the illegal arrest of the accused," he said.
In his intervention, the President of the Court, Nikolas Georgiadis, restored the decision on a "correct basis", disapproving of the use of the term "illegal arrest" by the defense, reminding that the decision concerned only the search and seizure, and not the legality of the arrest.
"I am sorry to notice that you keep using the phrase 'unlawful arrest'. This was not our decision in the trial within the trial. Our decision is that the search of the luggage and the seizure of items were carried out in violation of the constitutional rights of the accused," the Judge said.
Despite the Court's remarks, Argyrou insisted that "the illegality of the Police cannot be set aside. She took an illegal action, dragging – I think – all her actions from then on."
The procedure was rescheduled for October 22, at 09:00 in the morning, when the defense attorney will speak on his objection.
Until then, the accused will remain in custody under the same conditions.
