Pafos Live 22 November 2025
Regarding the stabbing earlier this week in Konia, Police confirmed that 26-year-old Alexandros Antoniou succumbed to his injuries. According to the police announcement, the 26-year-old, who was being treated in a private hospital in Limassol, succumbed to his injuries in the early hours of this morning.
This is Alexandros Antoniou, 26 years old from Paphos. An arrest warrant was issued against the 58-year-old arrestee, who is already in custody, for premeditated murder, under which he was arrested this morning.
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Pafos Press
A shameful incident was recorded yesterday morning by a closed circuit surveillance camera at a store in the Paphos shopping center.
The woman seen in the video was walking at 9:30 in the morning on the pedestrian streets of the Center where she spotted a bag in a building under repair.
After going ahead and checking if there were people around, she returned to the scene seconds later ,opened the bag, took €25 from inside the wallet and threw it next to a plastic container.
The video was sent to PafosPress by the owner of the wallet, not so much because of the amount of money but to inform people to be especially careful and protect their personal belongings because as it turns out, among us, there are many dishonest people unfortunately.
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Filenews
The curtain fell on the much-praised case that was marketed as a terrorist plot, and even concerned the then Prime Minister of Israel Naftali Bennett, but eventually developed into a case of conspiracy to murder.
A while ago, the Permanent Criminal Court of Nicosia announced the amount of the sentence for 42-year-old Orhan Asadov, who was arrested at the swimming pool of Agios Andreas in Nicosia for a terrorism case and that he was planning the murder of five Israeli citizens.
The Azeri was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison. Asadov has already been on trial since the fall of 2021. Consequently, and given that one year of imprisonment in the Central Prison is served in nine months, the 42-year-old is expected to be released within 2026.
Between Asadov's lawyer, Kostis Efstathiou, and the spokeswoman of the prosecution, Polina Efthyvoulou, there was an agreement with Asadov to admit a charge of conspiracy to murder and to drop the charges related to terrorism (up to life imprisonment) and intent to kill Israeli citizens.
The decision is likely to affect the other two defendants represented by Panos Pafitis and Kassandra Kouppari, respectively. The next hearing is set for December 11 and its subject will be an issue raised by lawyer Panos Pafitis on behalf of his client and the circumstances under which he was given a statement in 2021 by the investigators of the TAE Headquarters.
However, it is not excluded that the verdict and the imposition of the sentence will have side effects for the other two defendants.
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On 21/11/2025, officials of the Customs Department at Paphos Airport, after evaluating information, located a passenger with British citizenship before his departure for the United Kingdom, with his luggage containing large quantities of tobacco products, which did not bear the marking for the harmfulness of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, nor the safety feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.
Specifically, 135 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, 4 packs of 20 cigarettes each and 500gr of rolled cigarette tobacco were found and confiscated in the passenger's luggage.
The passenger was arrested for flagrante delicto offenses and taken to detention to appear before the Paphos District Court today with a request for 4 days of detention.
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A joint venture between two twin brothers, who were partners in a bus company, appears to be ending in controversy after one brother complained to his twin and his wife that they had been stealing from him for 34 years. After a two-year investigation by the Police and specifically by the Limassol Police Department. The twin brother allegedly exploited the joint bank account he maintained with his brother, extracting, according to the complaint, together with his 61-year-old wife, a sum of money reaching half a million euros.
According to the Police, a 67-year-old man and his wife, 61, were arrested yesterday Thursday for the purpose of investigations, following a complaint filed in 2023 by the complainant, who is the twin brother of the 67-year-old.
As stated in the complaint, the two brothers jointly owned a bus company based in Limassol. From 1989 until 2023, for 34 whole years, they managed a joint bank account. During this time, the couple allegedly systematically extorted money without the complainant's knowledge, with the total amount estimated at around €500,000.
After two years of investigations and examinations, which included an audit of the company's bank movements and accounting books, the investigators of the Limassol Police Department proceeded yesterday to arrest the 67-year-old and his wife. The two were interrogated in writing and released, while the investigation of the case continues.
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The six people involved in the murder of Stavros Demosthenous, who are now in the hands of the Police, fell into traps, mistakes and omissions. Among them was the executioner, who from the back window of the van, executed the victim with two fatal bullets to the head. After endless hours of research, study of closed circuit surveillance and utilization of technology, the investigators of the Limassol Police Department managed, just one week after the murder, to collect critical testimonies about the role of each person involved in the "death contract". According to the authorities, three of the defendants had casual roles, while three Greek expatriates from Georgia appear to have played a leading role in the execution.
The 28-year-old suspect and alleged executor
The 28-year-old A.Z., according to the investigators of the Limassol Police Department, has been locked up as the person who executed Stavros Demosthenous. The young Greek expatriate from Georgia participated in the "death contract" and testimony from his close environment, which was given a week after the murder, places him in the frame of the execution. According to this testimony, A.Z. confessed 4-5 days after the murder that he participated in the crime, receiving a reward. After the murder, he picked up the motorcycle with which he arrived at the scene of the arson of the van. According to the same testimony, their escape from the area of Agios Tychonas was done with the help of his cousin. Both the 28-year-old A.Z. and the 31-year-old defendant, who was the driver of the van at the time of the execution, boarded the vehicle.
A testimony reveals that the 28-year-old A.Z., when he was informed by reports about the location of the motorcycle and the hat, began to be very worried about the course of the investigations. Just one day after the murder, on 18/10, he asked his mother for the passport and left in a hurry for Greece, without taking personal belongings or documents with him. This move strengthened suspicions about his involvement in the case.
The 28-year-old BMW driver and the escape of the perpetrators
The 28-year-old I.Z., cousin of the alleged executioner, allegedly picked up the perpetrators from the place where they abandoned the motorcycle in Agios Tychonas, driving a BMW recorded by the security cameras. The vehicle moved towards the coastal front, with its license plates also detected by another camera. Five days after the murder, on October 22, the authorities located the owner of the car, who gave it up for examination. The father of the 28-year-old confirmed that the car is driven exclusively by his son, who had left Cyprus on 21/10 with his minor son for Thessaloniki, with the family waiting for them there. In fact, their father himself took them to the airport in this vehicle.
The investigators contacted him by phone, in the presence of his father. The 28-year-old suspect claimed that he was in Agios Tychonas to buy drugs, without giving further explanations.
The 31-year-old accused driver of the van at the time of the execution
The 31-year-old first appeared in the frame of the case around October 26, when the getaway BMW was recorded by a camera, just an hour after the murder, in the Omonia area, near his home. He was initially arrested as an accomplice, as investigations revealed that he travelled with his 28-year-old childhood friend A.Z., a day after the murder. They went by road to the occupied territories and from there, by ship, to Turkey, where they finally ended up in Thessaloniki. The vehicle was located in Thessaloniki after the arrest of the two 28-year-olds. Documents related to trafficking to and from the occupied territories were found inside, both in the name of the 31-year-old and the 28-year-old A.Z.
An informant revealed to the Police that the 31-year-old allegedly hid the clothes of the 28-year-old alleged executor in his home. However, investigations showed that the 31-year-old had a much more active role. He participated in the "death rehearsal" and in the preparation of the vehicles used in the murder, both the van and the Mitsubishi Colt. In fact, on September 26, he had ordered license plates for the priest's stolen vehicle, which was ultimately not used in the execution.
DNA in the Zorro hat
After thorough investigations, investigators concluded that the 31-year-old was not only the driver of the van at the time of the execution, but also the driver of the motorcycle during the escape after the vehicle was set on fire. According to the testimony of the victim's son, the driver was wearing a round Zorro hat and black glasses. This hat bears the DNA of the 31-year-old. Witnesses reported that during their escape, the hat fell off the motorcycle driver's head, leaving behind one of the most critical elements.
The role of the 30-year-old convict
The role of the 30-year-old convict is considered decisive regarding the motorcycle used by the perpetrators. He allegedly instructed the 30-year-old H.S. to buy the motorcycle, providing instructions via mobile phone from the Central Prison. The 30-year-old convict allegedly contacted a specific person via a mobile phone application and asked him if he was interested in making 200 euros. He then put him in touch with the 30-year-old H.S., to give him instructions on where to find a motorcycle, which he would take to Larnaca. However, H.S., after a conversation with the person in question, dissuaded him by telling him that "this action is not for a good purpose".
The 30-year-old C.S.
The role of the 30-year-old was to mediate for the purchase of the second motorcycle from its 44-year-old owner (former footballer) in the presence of the 59-year-old. He contacted the convict again via video call asking for his approval before purchasing. This is the motorcycle used by the perpetrators to escape after the murder of Demosthenes. As it became clear from the investigations, the 30-year-old seems to have known that the motorcycle he bought would be used for the murder. After the murder, he approached the former footballer and informed him that the motorcycle was in the hands of the Police, giving him €100 and asking him to tell the authorities that it had been stolen from him.
DNA of the 51-year-old in the jerry cans
Initially, the Limassol District Court had released the 51-year-old of Greek origin, who was connected to the stolen Mitsubishi Colt, in which jerry cans with flammable material and his DNA were found, intended for the destruction of evidence. He was later included in the indictment and remained on trial until the start of the trial. He was later included in the indictment and the Court left him on trial until the start of the trial. As recorded by closed circuits, persons had arrived near the victim's home on October 9, 10, 12, 13 and 14 and boarded the stolen vehicles (white van and Mitsubishi Colt). The vehicles followed specific routes to the victim's home and the crime scene, reinforcing the scenario that the murder plan had already been put in place. On October 5, 2025, the theft of the Mitsubishi Colt by a priest in the St. Anthony area was reported. Three days before the murder, the Police located the vehicle in an open area outside the Sfalagiotissa cemetery, near the scene of the execution of the victim.
The case was registered and referred to the Criminal Court, with the start of the hearing set for January 29, 2026. The defendants were taken to the Central Prison as undertrials while they face a total of 17 charges, with the latest, that of theft, involving only the 51-year-old defendant. However, it is expected to be re-registered next week, so that both 28-year-olds can be added to the indictment.
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The Limassol Permanent Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a 72-year-old defendant to 12 years in prison, finding him guilty after admitting to charges related to possession and trafficking of large quantities of drugs.
The two drug cases, for which the 72-year-old was arrested and charged, concern the detection and seizure of large quantities of cocaine in May 2022. Specifically, on May 13, 2022 in Limassol, a 58-year-old man was arrested, after a quantity of cocaine with a gross weight of 2,5 kilograms was found in his possession and confiscated. A 62-year-old woman was also arrested for the same case.
The case was heard by the Limassol Criminal Court, which sentenced the 58-year-old to 10 years in prison and the 62-year-old to three years in prison. The second case concerns the seizure of cocaine with a gross weight of 6,5 kg, which was found on May 27, 2022 in a container that had arrived at the Port of Limassol a few days earlier. A second 58-year-old man was arrested for the same case. The 58-year-old was sentenced by the Limassol Criminal Court to 13 years in prison.
The 72-year-old defendant had already confessed to the investigators of YKAN Limassol his participation in a drug trafficking ring, while he admitted that in recent years he imported about 8 kilograms of cocaine into Cyprus. He admitted acting as a sender of large quantities of cocaine, carrying out orders from other people. For the needs of the illegal activity, he had created a Cypriot company in his name for the alleged import of expensive cigars and had rented a warehouse in Limassol, where he stored three pallets of boxes containing drug packages.
The 72-year-old Greek citizen had been wanted by the Cypriot authorities since June 2022, following the issuance of a European arrest warrant. His connection to the cases was confirmed through genetic material (DNA) found in the drugs.
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It was reported yesterday to the Financial Crime Investigation Office of the TAE Larnaca by a resident of Larnaca that, between July 24, 2025 and November 10, 2025, unknown persons managed, via the internet, to extort the sum of €50.000 from him.
According to the complaint, the unknown persons presented themselves to the complainant as stockbrokers of a company based in the United States of America.
They convinced him that they would guide him to profitable cryptocurrency investments through an online platform and that he could track his money credit, investments, and supposed profits through a specific app.
After being convinced, the complainant, on seven different occasions between July 24 and October 27, 2025, sent a total of €50,000 from his bank account to various bank accounts abroad.
According to the Police, in early November 2025, during his attempt to withdraw the alleged profits, he was asked to pay an additional amount of money as a withdrawal fee, at which point he realized that he had been deceived.
The case is being investigated by the Financial Crime Investigation Office of the Larnaca Police Department.
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A 44-year-old man and a 53-year-old woman were placed in five-day detention today following a relevant order of the Nicosia District Court.
The above were arrested yesterday afternoon by virtue of court warrants, to facilitate investigations into three cases of burglary and theft, offenses committed between the dates 4-20/11/2025 in the province of Nicosia.
Specifically, in the context of the investigation of the above cases, evidence emerged against the 44-year-old that brings him to be involved in the above cases.
According to the data under investigation, on 20/11/2025, the 44-year-old visited a gold shop in the province of Nicosia where he allegedly sold the 53-year-old employee a number of pieces of gold, for which the woman allegedly did not issue relevant certificates. The Nicosia TAE continues the examinations.
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Another black dawn in Limassol, with the city now counting 15 dead on the asphalt since the beginning of the year. The new fatal accident occurred shortly after 1:30 midnight on Sunday, on the coastal road and on 28th October Street, when a 26-year-old Greek Cypriot driver, positive for alcohol and drugs and according to testimonies moving at increased speed, dragged and killed a 20-year-old cyclist from Syria. This is Ahmad Al Matar, a recognized political refugee.
The accident happened shortly before the traffic lights of Enaerios. As the head of the Limassol Traffic Police, Marios Charalambous, stated from the scene, the 26-year-old was driving a saloon vehicle in a westerly direction, when, under circumstances he was investigating, he hit the young cyclist, who was also moving on the coastal road. The 20-year-old was taken by ambulance to Limassol General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The driver underwent a preliminary and final alcohol test, as well as a drug test, with positive indications. He was arrested for spontaneous offenses and taken into custody.
Regarding the position of the cyclist, Mr. Charalambous noted that the examinations are at an early stage. There is, however, testimony that the 20-year-old was cycling on the road and was not wearing a protective helmet, despite the fact that there is a bicycle path on the coastal front.
The 26-year-old was brought before the Limassol District Court around 9:00 in the morning, which issued a six-day detention order.
