Pafos Live 22 December 2025
Dozens of persons, who reside illegally in Cyprus, were arrested today, as part of a coordinated operation by the Aliens and Immigration Service (Y.A.&M).
The operation was carried out this morning in the provinces of Nicosia, Larnaca, Limassol and Famagusta. During the event, a total of 31 third-country nationals who were illegally residing in Cyprus were identified and arrested.
The arrested were taken into custody, while the process of their repatriation has already begun.
Since the beginning of the year, a total of 11,500 persons who were illegally residing in Cyprus have been repatriated, through the procedures of the Ministry of Health, while the corresponding number for 2024 amounted to 10,092.
At the same time, illegal arrivals of third-country nationals in Cyprus this year were limited to 2,400, while last year they amounted to 6,109.
The Police's efforts to locate and repatriate persons residing illegally on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus continue daily.
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Filenews
Large quantities of tobacco products and electronic / vaping cigarettes were found by officials of the Customs Department in the luggage of a 29-year-old Russian passenger with Israeli citizenship, who arrived from Russia via Armenia at Larnaca airport on December 18.
Specifically, in a statement, the Customs Department states that "on 18/12/2025, officials of the Customs Department at Larnaca Airport, during the usual checks of arriving passengers from third countries, carried out a check on the luggage of a 29-year-old Russian passenger with Israeli citizenship, who arrived from Russia via Armenia".
It is noted that "large quantities of tobacco products and electronic / vaping cigarettes were found in the passenger's luggage".
Specifically, "7 kilograms and 210 grams of hookah tobacco, 67 e-cigarettes with flavoured and unflavoured liquid and 630ml of e-cigarette replacement liquid were located and confiscated".
It is reported that "later his proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the case with the payment of an amount of €2,000 was accepted. The hookah smoke was returned to him after he paid an additional amount of €1,567 which corresponded to the tobacco duties and taxes as well as the financial charge for ignoring his declaration to Customs."
"The electronic cigarettes were confiscated and after the necessary analyses are made for their content, they will proceed with the destruction process," the Customs Department concludes in the announcement.
In addition, on December 17, officials of the Customs Department at the Agios Dometios crossing point selected for inspection a vehicle in which a person of Israeli citizenship was riding.
During the inspection that followed, large quantities of tobacco products were found in his possession, which did not bear the marking for the harmful of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, nor the safety feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.
Specifically, 12 boxes of 200 cigarettes each and 2 kilograms of rolled cigarette tobacco, which was carefully hidden in a package of boxes for gifts, were located and confiscated. The person involved was arrested for flagrante delicto, while he was later released, after his proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the case was accepted.
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A serious traffic accident occurred around 15:00 on Sunday afternoon (21/12) in Limassol, when a 49-year-old driver dragged a pedestrian on Misiaouli and Kavazoglou streets.
According to the Police, the 49-year-old Greek Cypriot was driving his vehicle in an easterly direction, when at some point on the road he hit a 47-year-old foreigner, a permanent resident of Cyprus, who together with two other persons was crossing the road from north to south.
The 47-year-old was taken to a private hospital, where, according to the first assessment of the treating doctors, she suffered a serious injury, with a broken rib, and was kept for treatment.
The driver underwent an alcohol test, with a final reading of 93 mg% instead of the allowed limit of 22 mg%. He was arrested and taken into custody, while the Traffic Police investigate the causes of the accident.
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Mystery reigns around a strange car accident that seems to have unfolded in Larnaca.
A car looks like it went off course and was thrown into an off-road structure, causing it to float against a low wall.
The incident was noticed by passers-by and with a relevant video circulating on the internet.
According to information from the Police, the accident occurred on Saturday night on the Ayia Napa - Rizoelia highway. The driver, as reported to Filenews, was under the influence of alcohol and will be held accountable before Justice.
The Police mobilized a special machine to remove the car.
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The Cyprus Police continues to strengthen its presence at critical points and throughout the road network, reaffirming its determination to protect citizens and ensure a smooth daily life. During the actions, targeted controls, patrols and interventions are carried out in areas of high crime, while information and cooperation with other competent authorities are utilized for the effective prevention and suppression of delinquent phenomena.
The Cyprus Police continues with consistency and determination, sending a message of zero tolerance towards illegality and ensuring that citizens can feel safe in their daily lives.
In this context, a total of 400 inspections were carried out on Sunday night, which resulted in 148 complaints about various traffic offenses.
During the traffic checks, 57 breathalyzer tests were carried out, of which eight drivers were found positive and reported for driving under the influence of alcohol, while 37 drivers were reported for violating the speed limit.
As part of the investigation of traffic offenses, a total of four vehicles were detained for further examination.
At the same time, eleven persons were arrested, seven in Larnaca for gambling, two in Limassol for a case of drugs and illegal possession of explosives, one for illegal stay on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and one for violation of a court order.
These operations are part of a broad and constantly strengthened crime fighting plan, with an increased police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action in all provinces.
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A two-year-old girl was injured on Saturday afternoon in Kato Paphos while she was walking with her parents, from an electric scooter that hit her. The operator of the vehicle even left the scene and the Police continue the investigations to locate and arrest him.
According to the Police, the incident took place on the coastal pedestrian street of Poseidonos Avenue in Kato Paphos at 7.30pm. The little girl was lightly hit by the electric scooter while walking with her foreign parents and was first taken to Paphos Hospital and then for precautionary reasons to Makarios Hospital Nicosia. Her condition does not inspire any concerns.
Investigations to identify the operator of the electric scooter continue.
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The barber shop belonging to a 30-year-old wanted man from Lebanon of the attempted murder committed on Saturday night on Anexartisias Street, in Limassol, was the target of an attack by unknown persons in the early hours of Monday (22/12).
According to the Police, around 1:40 a.m. this morning, information was received about damage to the glass showcase of the barbershop. Preliminary examinations revealed that two people, having their faces covered with hoods, threw stones, causing extensive damage to both the window and the interior of the premises, while one of the two entered the barbershop.
Immediately after the attack, the perpetrators fled, running in an unknown direction.
Members of the Police rushed to the scene, who cordoned off the scene for examinations, while the investigations are expected to continue with the first light of day.
It is noteworthy that this particular property had previously occupied the authorities. Specifically, on August 28, 2020, there was a bloody incident outside the same barbershop, when during a fight between a group of people, a young man was shot in the neck and was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
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A 13-year prison sentence was imposed on Monday morning by the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca on a 27-year-old man from Greece, who last September transported more than 23 kilograms of cannabis to Cyprus. The defendant was found guilty, after his own admission, of charges of possession and transportation of drugs for the purpose of supplying to other persons.
The 27-year-old, according to the facts of the case, arrived at Larnaca airport on a flight from Athens shortly after 5 pm on September 23, 2025. During his stay at the baggage claim area, he aroused suspicion in a YKAN constable, since he was nervous and constantly looked towards the Customs control passage.
As soon as he received his luggage and moved towards the Customs control passage, he was stopped for a check. A radiodiagnostic check of the luggage found that it contained suspicious substances. He was then asked to open the luggage that was locked with a security code. The accused stated that he did not know the code and then this suitcase was opened with a special tool. Two large transparent nylon packages, sealed airtight, were found in the luggage, inside which there were 44 smaller packages containing dry cannabis plant matter weighing 23 kilograms and 664 grams.
In the testimonies taken from the 27-year-old, he stated that he lives in Athens and that he is not a drug user, however, lately he has been involved in gambling. Due to the fact that he lost a lot of money in gambling, he was forced, as he claimed, to borrow from an Albanian.
Because he failed to pay off his debt, the Albanian put him in touch with another person nicknamed Burger, with whom he arranged to bring the drugs to Cyprus. His fee would be €10,000 and with this money he would pay off his debt. The accused claimed that his luggage was handed over by a hooded man in Athens. He also claimed that he did not know to whom he would deliver the drugs in Cyprus.
In imposing the sentence, the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca made special reference to the frequency with which such cases now come before it, underlining the need for the imposition of dissuasive penalties.
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An extremely serious case of hare poaching was reported by the Game and Fauna Service in the early hours of last Sunday.
Specifically, gamekeepers of our Service, during a targeted operation organized to crack down on hare poaching in the communities of Kouklia and Timi in the province of Paphos, had put a specific area under surveillance. Around 4:30 in the morning, our members noticed a vehicle moving suspiciously in agricultural areas in the area of the community of Timi, while shots were heard from the vehicle.
The members of our Service were immediately mobilized to stop the vehicle. The driver initially did not comply with the signs to stop, resulting in a chase, which ended in the vehicle being stopped around 4:50.
Three persons from the province of Paphos were in the vehicle, two of whom have previously engaged this Service for similar offenses. During the on-site inspection, two shotguns were located and confiscated.
The gamekeepers, due to their experience, estimated that the hares that were illegally hunted were not placed in the car but were placed in specific places in the area where they were hunted to be collected later.
With the first light of day, an extensive check was carried out in the area where the suspects' vehicle moved. In two different places, on trees, two freshly killed hares were found camouflaged, which seem to have been placed, to be collected at a later time, while serious damage to agricultural crops was also observed.
Of particular concern is the fact that two of the three suspects work in the Department of Forests and this is not the first time they have been involved in similar cases. At the same time, it is also worrying that employees of the Department of Forests are strongly concerned with the Service for various violations of the Protection and Management of Wild Birds and Game Law.
Also of great concern to the Service is the fact that some employees of the Department of Forests seem to take advantage of the fact that they work both in observatories and in areas where access from other services is limited or almost impossible.
Finally, it is noted that in the last few days, members of our Service have reported several cases of hunting in prohibited hunting areas as well as for the deliberate circulation of hunting dogs in prohibited hunting areas during hunting days, with the aim of expelling hares from the prohibited ones and their predation by hunters who are within their limits.
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With the imposition of a fine, the proceedings before the "court" in occupied Trikomo for the case of the Greek Cypriot woman who was facing charges of personal data violation were completed on Monday. The accused, together with her husband, is expected to return to the free areas within the day or tomorrow, Tuesday, at the latest, as soon as the relevant bureaucratic procedures are finalized.
According to the decision, the Greek Cypriot woman was fined 12,000 and 100,000 Turkish Lira for charges related to securing personal data and violating privacy. In case of non-payment of the fines, the decision provides for a prison sentence of three months for each charge.
The "court" stated that for the imposition of the sentence it took into account the defendant's clean criminal record, the remorse she expressed, as well as her age, noting that she is over 65 years old with health problems. In addition, it was stated that the data obtained was not used for the purpose of causing damage to third parties.
The decision also includes the return of the vehicle and a mobile phone that had been seized as evidence. The couple is waiting for the completion of the process of handing over their documents by the occupying authorities, so that they can return through the checkpoints.
CNA
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in-cyprus
A football referee claims he was savagely beaten by a Karmiotissa FC mob that punched and kicked him on the ground whilst police officers stood watching after Saturday’s match—but the club insists the attack never happened and their pitch doesn’t even have the tunnel where he says it occurred.
Konstantinos Theodorou’s match report describes “repeated punches and kicks to my entire body, even when I was down on the ground” by “an enraged mob” in what he calls “physical violence with barbarity”. He names a Karmiotissa stretcher-bearer sent off minutes earlier as one attacker and accuses police of remaining “inactive and uninvolved, without making any attempt to protect me”.
Karmiotissa flatly denies it. “The referee fell to the ground, but he got up and said ‘yes I feel fine’,” the club stated yesterday. “And one clarification. Our pitch does not have a tunnel!”
Cyprus Police are investigating despite Theodorou’s refusal to file a formal complaint. He wants the Cyprus Football Association to handle the matter, not the criminal justice system.
“The enraged mob” and police who did nothing
In his match report obtained by Phileleftheros, Theodorou describes being attacked “in the tunnel area” after the 1-2 second division loss to APEA Akrotiri ended.
“A group of people from Karmiotissa Polemidion approached me—the overwhelming majority unauthorised people not registered on the match sheet. They approached me initially with threatening intentions, insulting me, abusing me and subsequently beat me, exercising physical violence against me with barbarity.”
He continues: “I received a savage beating with repeated punches and kicks to my entire body, even when I was down on the ground, endangering my physical integrity, offending and humiliating my human dignity.”
Then comes his most damning allegation: “Noteworthy was that throughout the aforementioned incident, Cyprus Police members were present, who unfortunately remained inactive and uninvolved, without making any attempt to protect me and shield me from the enraged mob.”
Theodorou identifies one attacker as a Karmiotissa stretcher-bearer expelled in the 88th minute for improper conduct on the bench. “Seconds before I was on the ground, I managed to recognise a person who punched me in the ribs and near the chest.”
He names four witnesses: assistant referees Andreas Viktoros and Angeliki Athanasopoulos, match observer Kyriakos Christoudias, and match doctor Georgios Nikolaou.
Hospital visit: X-rays and CT scans
Theodorou states that “with the intervention of calmer people, I managed in a state of crisis panic and fear to eventually enter the refereeing team’s changing rooms and be given first aid”.
That evening he visited Limassol General Hospital’s Accidents and Emergency Department for chest X-rays and CT scans of his brain, neck, chest and abdomen. He attached the medical certificates to his match report.
Club: “He said ‘I feel fine’ repeatedly”
Karmiotissa’s official statement presents a sharply different version.
“Indeed there was a clash at the end of the match, the referee fell to the ground, but he got up and the stadium doctor examined him without finding anything serious. Mr Giannis Violaris even hugged him, asked if he was okay and he said ‘yes I feel fine’. He even asked if he wanted to go to hospital, but he answered ‘I feel fine’, as diagnosed by Mr Georgios Nikolaou, stadium doctor.”
The club said they tried contacting Theodorou afterwards to inform him the assistants left their flags at the pitch, but he didn’t answer. “Mr Giannis Violaris is calling him even now to give him the assistants’ flags.”
Karmiotissa expressed surprise at the match report: “We obviously consider this to be outside reality. And one clarification. Our pitch does not have a tunnel!”
The tunnel claim strikes at the heart of Theodorou’s account, which specifies the attack occurred “in the tunnel area” as he headed to the changing rooms.
Police: “Everything will be investigated”
Police communication subdirectorate officer Christodoulos Konsolos confirmed yesterday that authorities are investigating what happened after the match ended, despite no formal complaint.
“The referee is not willing to make a complaint,” Konsolos said. “However, despite the fact there is no complainant for the incident, Police will investigate everything that was noted after the match ended.”
Asked specifically whether police will investigate Theodorou’s claims that officers remained inactive when he was attacked, Konsolos was unequivocal: “Everything will be investigated.”
According to information obtained by Phileleftheros, Theodorou wishes the match report to be handled by the Cyprus Football Association and does not want the incident elevated to a criminal matter.
The preliminary message recorded in the Police system noted insults directed at the referee, who was reportedly led to the changing rooms by police members. Two police officers were on duty at the match.
Fileleftheros attempted to contact Cyprus Referees Association president Christos Spanos for comment, but he did not answer repeated calls despite written notification.
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Three committee members of the winemaking cooperative SODAP have filed a corruption complaint against former Energy Minister George Papanastasiou and a senior official, alleging they bypassed public tender procedures for a €40 million seaside plot in Kato Paphos.
The complaint, submitted to the Independent Authority Against Corruption last November, claims the officials acted to predetermine a 70-year lease worth over €100 million for a specific company without following standard procurement processes.
Papanastasiou categorically denied the accusations on Friday, attributing the complaint to “two factions competing for the filet” and insisting “no procedure was bypassed. Everything done lawfully.”
The Authority has not rejected the complaint and will investigate whether the claims are unfounded, according to information obtained by Fileleftheros.
40,000 sq.m. plot at centre of dispute
The 40,000 square metre seaside plot in Kato Paphos, valued at €40 million by the complainants, was originally leased for 35 years to a private company following public tenders by SODAP (Cooperative Organisation for the Marketing of Viticultural Products).
After the company pledged the property to a bank and entered bankruptcy proceedings, management passed to an asset management company. A solution emerged to lease the property to a specific company for 70 years for over €100 million.
The three SODAP board members allege that “around or about 2024”, a senior SODAP official and legal advisor announced to the committee they had concluded negotiations with the company for the 70-year lease. The officials refused to reveal details to committee members, citing a confidentiality agreement between the chairman and the company.
“The actions were done without committee or Supervisor approval, in ignorance of all of us,” the complainants stated.
Committee refused to sign agreement
The agreement was not signed and the committee refused to approve such a decision. The complainants argued the process should be transparent, with public tenders held given the property’s value and the huge sums involved—SODAP’s long-standing practice.
“The property is of particularly large value belonging to SODAP Ltd, which belongs to thousands of shareholders, since it is a cooperative company,” they noted.
The officials rejected these suggestions and insisted on proceeding with the specific company without public tender procedures or offer evaluation, according to the complaint.
The complainants reported the matter via letters to the Supervisor and relevant Ministry. An investigation was ordered which “revealed serious errors in the procedure”, they said.
The Supervisor, Assistant Supervisor and relevant Minister adopted this position and informed SODAP’s governing committee via official written letter. A special committee was established for implementation.
Commerce minister gave controversial instructions
However, a few days ago at a special meeting attended by the company and chaired by the Commerce Minister, the minister gave instructions for the committee to consult with the company and implement the agreement if the offer was beneficial to SODAP—without holding public tenders, the complainants alleged.
Papanastasiou told Phileleftheros on Friday that the issue was handled by the internal audit mechanism of the Ministry he headed until recently as Energy Minister.
“No intervention was made by the Minister,” he said, referring to himself.
He explained the issue was placed under a loan management company’s supervision due to the previous tenant’s situation. At a SODAP General Assembly, the loan management company presented the solution, including another company’s interest in leasing the property.
After receiving complaints, Papanastasiou said he assigned his Ministry’s internal audit to investigate and find a solution, with cooperation “from two independent audit firms”.
“The situation was presented to us by the Ministry’s internal audit at a meeting and a specific proposal was made. No procedure was bypassed. Everything was done lawfully,” the former minister concluded.
Separate EU funds complaint forwarded to European Prosecutor
The Independent Authority Against Corruption continues to receive complaints about state and political officials during this period, evaluating each case through its internal mechanism.
The Authority recently forwarded a complaint to the European Prosecutor’s Office concerning an “active official” and “possible mismanagement of EU funds”—phrases indicating a person actively involved in politics.
The anonymous complaint alleged the official received money to maintain an office during their tenure, but the fund was allocated for residential unit rental without necessary office provisions. Part of an EU fund also appears to have been allocated to an event unrelated to the accused’s European position.
Authority officials evaluated the complaint and conducted primary investigation before forwarding it to the European Prosecutor’s Office. The EPPO is expected to appoint a delegated official to evaluate the material within two months, then examine evidence to decide whether a criminal investigation is justified.
Developments are expected within the first months of 2026.
