Pafos Live 4 October 2025
On 3/10/2025, within the framework of the joint actions of the Customs Department and the Anti-Narcotics Service to prevent the import of drugs into Cyprus, following an evaluation of information by members of YKAN, an officer of the Customs Department carried out a radiodiagnostic check on the luggage of a 30-year-old foreigner who arrived from another member state at Larnaca Airport. During the radiodiagnostic examination, the operator identified some abnormalities that raised suspicions that there may be drugs hidden in the luggage and for this reason it was decided to carry out a physical check.
During the physical check, two packages of protein powder were found among the passenger's personal belongings, in which there were two carefully hidden nylon airtight packages with green dry plant matter (cannabis) with a total weight of 1 kg and 72 grams.
The passenger was arrested for a self-inflicted crime and the drugs were confiscated by the Customs Department and in the context of cooperation with the Police, they were handed over to YKAN for further investigation. As part of the investigation, YKAN officials conducted a search at his home in Larnaca where they found other small quantities of drugs (vegetable and cannabis resin). The investigations continue by the Larnaca YKAN Unit.
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Filenews
Threats, blackmail, "protection" and demand for money are behind the bloody attempted murder of a 42-year-old Ukrainian committed on Monday night outside a beach hotel in Limassol. The 44-year-old wanted man presents himself as a high-ranking member of the notorious criminal organization "Vory".
The 39-year-old suspect, an accomplice of the wanted man, was brought before the Limassol District Court today for a request for his detention. The Court approved the request of the Police and ordered his detention for a period of eight days. The offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony, attempted murder, possession, transport and use of a firearm and explosives, demanding money with threats and threats are being investigated against him.
His lawyer did not object, while the suspect did not give a statement for the time being.
According to what was heard in Court by the investigator of the case, an eyewitness (partner of the victim) testified that the two maintain offices in Limassol. As he mentioned, about six months ago he received a phone call from an unknown man, who spoke Russian with a Georgian accent and demanded money from the profits of the companies. When the witness asked him who he was, he refused to reveal himself. A few days later, the same person called him again, this time demanding the amount of €500,.000. The witness refused.
On September 29, according to the witness, the suspect contacted him and asked him to meet, in the presence of a second person, a member of the Vory organization. The witness refused, but immediately afterwards he received a new phone call from an unknown man, who threatened to kill his family if he did not attend.
Under the weight of the threats, the victim's partner accepted and arranged a meeting at the hotel, to which he went with the victim. For security reasons, they also invited their friends.
In the hotel area, the victim and his partner approached the suspect and the wanted person, who were at a table. During the conversation, the wanted person intervened and threatened the witness in English, saying that he is "Vory" and that it is not possible to ignore the demand for money. In fact, he warned him that if he continued to refuse, he would kill his family.
He then asked them to leave the hotel. The victim's friends were also present there. The wanted man continued the threats and, when one of the victim's friends asked him to stop, he punched him, causing him to fall to the ground. Then the victim moved towards the 44-year-old, who pulled a pistol from a purse he was holding and shot him.
As heard before the Court, after the attempted murder, the two men went to a café in Zygi, where they asked for a taxi to be transported to Nicosia. Security cameras and the testimony of the taxi driver recorded that they disembarked around 20:30 in an area of Nicosia.
It should be noted that on October 1, a statement was also taken from the victim, who remains guarded at the Limassol General Hospital. In it, the 42-year-old testified that his partner was receiving threats from the suspect to pay an amount of €300,000, as "protection" of their company. After pressure and threats, the fateful meeting was arranged, to which their friends were also invited for security reasons, as — according to the testimony — the 44-year-old presented himself as "Vory", a person high in the hierarchy of the criminal organization.
Investigations into the case were ongoing and another 37 statements are expected to be taken and 4 investigations are expected to be made.
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Members of YKAN, after evaluating information, located and confiscated yesterday in the province of Nicosia, two nylon garbage bags, in which there were 12 airtight packages, containing cannabis, with a gross weight of 6 kilograms and 840 grams.
YKAN (Nicosia District Unit) is investigating the case.
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The 24-year-old domestic worker, who is accused of sexually abusing a minor child, was referred to trial before the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court today (3/10). This is the case first brought to light by Filenews, which causes revulsion, as the accused allegedly committed heinous acts against the six-year-old girl she was looking after.
The accused, according to the information on our website, was referred to a direct trial before the Criminal Court, which is called to meet at the end of October. The accused faces 4 charges, including sexual abuse of a minor, possession and production of child pornography, as well as common assault.
As we mentioned in a previous publication, the incident occurred when the mother had been lying down in the afternoon to rest and her minor daughter was under the supervision of the suspicious domestic worker in the latter's bedroom.
According to the complaint, the mother in the evening of the same day took her daughter's mobile phone, as she used to do, to check it. There she saw photos and videos, in which the disputed parts of the girl's body were recorded as well as an act of abuse of the child.
After what the mother saw, she asked for an explanation from the 24-year-old domestic worker, who - according to the former's claims - replied that she was "playing with the minor in her bedroom".
The 24-year-old was arrested after the mother's complaint and on the same day she was brought before the Limassol District Court, which, in a closed-door procedure, ordered her detention for a period of eight days.
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Members of the Police carried out a search this morning with a court warrant at the home of a 41-year-old man in the province of Nicosia, as well as in a fenced area in the province of Larnaca.
During the search, five wild bird trapping nets, 952 dead wild birds and 817 plastic white containers used for packaging wild birds were found and confiscated as evidence, among other things.
In the fenced area in the province of Larnaca, eleven set up trapping nets for wild birds were located and confiscated, on which there were 297 wild birds, of which 149 were dead and 147 were alive and released, as well as two imitation machines which produced imitative sounds of wild birds.
During the search, a 42-year-old man entered the fenced area, who was wearing a hood and tried to escape at the sight of the police. After he was immobilized by the members of the Police, he was searched and a quantity of cannabis was found in his possession and he was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
In a subsequent investigation, a single-barrelled hunting gun, 181 full double-barrelled hunting cartridges, two imitation devices and two killed wild birds were found inside a vehicle that the 42-year-old was allegedly driving and confiscated.
During the operation, a vehicle owned by a 44-year-old man was stopped outside the fenced area, in which 30 full double-barrelled hunting cartridges and three knives were found and confiscated and he was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
The Game Service is expected to proceed with the issuance of out-of-court notices for the offenses related to the Wild Birds Law.
The examinations continue by the Police Officers of Pera Chorio and Kofinou Station.
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An unprecedented case was faced by members of the Customs Department, who ended up talking on the phone with a "dead person".
As noted by the spokesman of the Customs Department, Giorgos Konstantinou, the incident took place a few days ago during a check at the Agios Dometios roadblock in a car driven by a foreigner.
Boxes of cigarettes and a small amount of tobacco were found, with the woman reporting to the authorities that the car belonged to her husband, who had died.
However, the prescribed procedure was followed, where the officials made an effort to talk to the owner. "They called him on the phone number stated in the documents and to their surprise the 'deceased' answered them," he said.
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The Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) has announced the imposition of a fine of €350,000 on the company Payabl. Cy Ltd (formerly Powercash21 Ltd), due to failure to comply with specific provisions of the Anti-Money Laundering and Combating Money Laundering Law of 2007, as in force.
The context of the decision
The decision was based on Article 59 of the Law and was taken on September 30, 2025, following the findings of a 2020 audit. The CBC clarified that the process was carried out in accordance with the principles of administrative law, giving the company the right to submit explanations before the final decision.
Supervisory role of the CBC
The Central Bank, in the context of its supervisory role, may impose administrative measures and sanctions in cases of non-compliance of supervised persons with the Law or with its relevant Directives.
The imposition of the fine on Payabl. Cy Ltd (LEI code 2138003UJXVWKJIH9G72) is part of this strategy to enhance transparency and prevent money laundering in the financial sector.
