Pafos Live 4 December 2025
Members of the Paphos Police Department continue the examinations in order to reach the arsonists of two vehicles at a vehicle sales exhibition. The arson of two cars occurred about two hours before 2 in the morning in the back of a luxury vehicle store operating on Mesogis Avenue.
According to the police, at 1.50 a.m., information was received about a fire in two vehicles. The cars were parked at the back of the store. The fire was extinguished by the Fire Service before spreading to other vehicles. The preliminary examinations caused damage with a total value of about €35,000. The police are in possession of images of closed circuits in the area which they are evaluating.
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As part of the investigation of a case of burglary of a company's offices in Nicosia, as well as theft and theft offenses, the Police arrested two persons yesterday.
These are men aged 25 and 19, who were arrested under court warrants and taken into custody.
Today they are expected to be brought before the Nicosia District Court for the issuance of a detention order.
The case concerns a burglary of the offices of a company in Nicosia, which was committed between October and November 2025, as well as the theft of 14 computers, with a total value of approximately €21.000.
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The conviction of 55 suspects and the imposition of fines of €239,000 for poaching birds as a result of the actions by the Police and the Game and Fauna Service between September 10 and November 25, the organization Committee Against Animal Slaughter (CABS) said in a statement today.
According to the NGO, during this period, two to four teams, consisting of experienced participants and environmentalists from all over Europe, were operating in the field every day, with their main mission being to identify and report active traps, as well as to assist the authorities in identifying the perpetrators and releasing all protected birds that were still alive in the traps.
It is added that together with police officers and gamekeepers from the Game and Fauna Service, the environmentalists conducted a total of 75 joint operations that led to the successful conviction of 55 men, 35 trappers and 20 hunters, who were found to be violating hunting regulations.
Reportedly, during the operations, 1,547 perches, 137 nets and 89 electronic bird attraction devices were seized or destroyed, while CABS members also helped authorities successfully release 1,286 live birds found trapped in nets or stuck in a perch, including hundreds of protected blackcaps, the main target of local poachers, as well as birds from 22 other protected species, such as Reeds, Nightingales.
The total amount of all fines imposed by the authorities against suspects identified by CABS complaints this autumn amounts to €239.770, it is noted.
In closing, CABS expresses its satisfaction to the Police and the Game Wardens for their cooperation and immediate response to the complaints they received, adding that this year a strong message was sent to all poachers that "no one is above the law and those arrested must face the consequences of their actions".
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Filenews
A vehicle chase took place at noon in Nicosia.
According to the Police, around 12.30, in the Nicosia area, members of the Police signalled to a car driver to stop for a check.
The driver failed to stop and tried to escape.
The vehicle was stopped by the members of the Police, who then proceeded to arrest the driver, as well as a second person who was in the vehicle, for illegal possession of an offensive instrument.
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A happy ending for the thriller in Limassol yesterday, with the woman who threatened to blow up her residence with gas cylinders and then cause harm to herself. The 65-year-old barricaded herself in the house for more than three hours due to an eviction that bailiffs were seeking to hand over to her.
Strong police forces, including specialized negotiators, rushed to the scene - a neighbourhood in the area of Agios Ioannis - who initially managed to convince her to hand over the gas cylinders and then accept to be taken to the hospital by her son, accompanied by an ambulance that was at the scene.
The bailiffs who had rushed to implement the eviction decree left after consultation with the Assistant Police Director, Marinos Vassiliou.
They will then return to the Court to inform the Judge of the facts and receive instructions for further proceedings.
The incident ended without any injuries, while the area returned to its normality and the road was opened to traffic again.
What preceded
Shortly after 9:00 in the morning, information was received by the Police that a 65-year-old woman had barricaded herself in her house, in the area of Agios Ioannis, threatening to blow it up with LPG.
The 65-year-old woman, after the actions of negotiators, handed over the gas cylinders, however she refused to leave the house. In fact, for a long time she threatened to hurt herself with a knife and pills, according to information given to Filenews by a person close to her. After the continued efforts of the authorities, things normalized, with the woman not facing the same danger.
Judicial officers also remained outside the house for two hours, who initially refused to leave until they completed their duties and handed over the court eviction warrant.
As Filenews is informed, the woman was in despair and was asking for the reversal of the decision that provides for her eviction. In the morning, she informed her son that he had locked himself in the house, claiming that there were gas cylinders inside and that she intended to blow them up.
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As part of the investigation of the incidents that took place late last Thursday night at the Apollon Club in Limassol, the Police made another arrest yesterday afternoon.
This is a 22-year-old man, who was arrested under a court warrant and taken into custody for the purpose of investigating the case.
The exams continue with the TAE of Limassol.
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The Police arrested a 50-year-old man today, to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of arson of a building, committed in the early hours of November 25, 2025, in Nicosia.
Specifically, around 5.30 a.m. On November 25, a fire broke out in a ground floor apartment, a three-storey apartment building in Nicosia, which spread to the rest of the building, completely destroying the ground floor area and causing damage to the masonry of the first and second floors. The fire was extinguished by members of the Fire Service, while a 20-year-old injured man was found at the scene and was taken to Nicosia General Hospital.
Examinations carried out at the scene revealed that the fire was set maliciously, while further investigation of the case ensured testimony against the 50-year-old. Based on the testimony, a court warrant was obtained for his arrest, under which he was arrested today and taken into custody to facilitate investigations.
As for the 20-year-old injured man, he continues to be treated by intubation, at the Nicosia General Hospital, with his health condition being judged as serious but stable.
The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.
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A new incident between students in Paphos, this time in the province and concerns students of Polis Chrysochous schools.
According to information from Filenews, there was a fight yesterday between four students, aged between thirteen and sixteen, for an unknown reason, resulting in the slight injury of one of them. The student, accompanied by his father, visited the Paphos General Hospital, where he received first aid and was discharged.
As it was found, he had a knee injury, while due to the blows and because he also had bruises on various parts of his body, he underwent other examinations by the staff of the Paphos Hospital.
The Paphos Police is also aware of the case, which is examining the new incident between students, in cooperation with the Polis Chrysochous Police Station.
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On Sunday 30/11, officials of the Customs Department at Larnaca Airport, after evaluating information, located 5 passengers with Latvian citizenship before their departure to the United Kingdom, with their luggage containing large quantities of tobacco products, which did not bear the marking for the harmful effects of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, nor the safety feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.
Specifically, 89, 87, 89, 98 and 98 boxes of 200 cigarettes each were found in the luggage of the 5 passengers respectively (a total of 461 cigarette boxes).
The passengers were arrested for flagrante delicto, while their luggage and contents were confiscated. Later they appeared before the Larnaca District Court which issued 4-day detention orders.
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A luxury watch and clothing accessories with a total value of more than €105,000 were in the possession of a 57-year-old man with Cypriot citizenship that was located by officials of the Customs Department at Larnaca Airport, as a result of which he was fined and taxes and duties of almost €20,000 were collected.
According to a relevant announcement, on 1/12/2025, officials of the Customs Department at Larnaca Airport during the usual checks of passengers passing through the green passage (nothing to declare) found in the luggage of a 57-year-old passenger with Cypriot citizenship, who arrived from Switzerland, a luxury watch and a clothing accessory with a total value of more than €105,000, which he failed to declare for the payment of the corresponding duties and taxes.
The passenger was fined €3,901 for failing to declare, while the corresponding duties and taxes amounting to €19,012.84 were also collected
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The Court of Appeal overturned a court decision in the case of co-owners of a property in the community of Agios Theodoros Soleas. Specifically, the Court of First Instance had awarded damages totaling €10,533.00 for illegal intervention in the property and €40,507.00 for the value of soil moved from the plot. The property, with an area of 9 tens and 607 meters, belongs undivided to the parties, with the appellants owning 1/3 and the respondents the remaining 2/3.
The Court of First Instance had ruled that the appellants proceeded to level 2/3 of the plot and used it as a storage space. Based on this finding, it awarded compensation for the rental value of the property and the value of land that, according to the reports, had been moved and utilized.
The appellants brought three grounds of appeal, challenging the amount of the damages. The Court of Appeal rejected the first plea, holding that the calculations of the rental value were correctly made on the basis of the assessment of the period 2008–2013.
However, it upheld the second and third grounds of appeal, finding that the Court of First Instance relied on insufficient testimony as to the volume and value of the soil moved. It was also found that there was no direct testimony about the actual volume of soil or its use by the appellants.
As a result, the Court of Appeal annulled the award of the amount of €40,507.00, while the remaining part of the first instance decision was maintained. At the same time, €3,100 in costs were awarded in favour of the appellants.
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On 3/12/2025, after a coordinated operation in 4 premises in the province of Nicosia, officials of the Customs Department located and confiscated a large amount of alcoholic beverages (vodka), which at first glance violated intellectual property rights (they were imitations) of a well-known brand.
Specifically, during the checks, a total of 434 bottles of 1 liter each and 568 bottles of 0.70cl each were located and confiscated. The case is being investigated by the Investigation Sector of the Chief Customs Office.
According to the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), counterfeit food and drink products are among the most seized products at the EU's borders. These goods contain dangerous and toxic substances that pose a serious risk to human health, which is why law enforcement authorities are particularly sensitive and make every effort to identify and withdraw these products from the market.
On the occasion of this seizure, the Customs Department reminds the public of the following self-protection measures:
- Food and beverage purchases should be made by official resellers and well-known distribution channels
- Check the labels and origin of products
- Look for certification logos such as EU geographical origin labels
- Examining the packaging for defects or spelling mistakes
- Report to the competent authorities of products with altered packaging or taste (Contact tel. of the competent Customs Department-22601858)
On 26/11/2025, officials of the Customs Department, during the routine inspection of vehicles at the Agios Dometios crossing point, stopped a rental vehicle driven by a foreign driver with Congolese citizenship. During the inspection of the vehicle, about 150 kg of fresh meat (bones and animal skins) originating from the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus were found. The aforementioned quantity of animal products as well as their transport vehicle were confiscated by the officials of the Customs Department. The confiscated items were abandoned by the driver for destruction, while he also paid a total amount of €500 for the out-of-court settlement of the offenses and the return of the vehicle.
Also on 3/12/2025, during a check carried out on a passenger vehicle at the Agios Dometios crossing point, driven by an African with German citizenship, another approximately 300 kilograms of fresh meat (animal bones and skins) originating from the occupied areas of the Republic of Cyprus were found. The aforementioned quantity of animal products as well as their transport vehicle were confiscated by the officials of the Customs Department. The confiscated items were abandoned by the driver for destruction, while he also paid a total amount of €500 for the out-of-court settlement of the offenses and the return of the vehicle.
He was teaching the Koran to children in a mosque in a province of Cyprus and, taking advantage of his position, sexually abused an 8-year-old boy. He is a 20-year-old foreigner who admitted his actions and was sentenced by a District Court to 30 months in prison.
The young man admitted three charges that constitute the crime of sexual abuse of a child, with the penalty provided for in the law being life imprisonment. According to the facts, as set out in the Court's decision, after a closed-door procedure, on 18.4.2025 he was reported to the TAE of the province by the father of the minor, who stated that the night before he went with his minor son, aged 8, to the XXXX mosque for prayer. He left his minor son there, went back to the house and a short time later returned and prayed. At the end of his prayer, he found his son in the courtyard upset and confused. He asked him what was going on and the minor told him that he was told not to say anything. After insistence, he explained what happened and pointed to a young person who was in the area, near them, explaining that this particular person told him to go somewhere together because he wanted to tell him something. After the minor followed him, they went to the toilet outside the mosque and after the stranger closed the door, he carried out his illegal acts. Then the father of the minor immediately grabbed the young man indicated to him by the minor and asked him vigorously what he was doing to his son. At first he denied it, but then admitted his act, running to leave the scene.
The minor's father asked those present about the identity of the young man and collected information. Late at night, he received a message on his mobile phone through the WhatsApp application, saying "if you want to beat me, beat me, but don't report me to the Police because you will ruin my life".
In his videotaped testimony, the minor recounted what happened, while in his testimony the accused stated that for the last five months, he has been teaching religion to children in a mosque, where the minor was and referred to what he did to the minor. The accused cooperated with the Police.
In its decision, the Court took into account the element of the position of trust that the accused had with the minor, as well as the circumstances of the commission of the offenses and the extent of the damage and pointed out that the factors that aggravate the effort to determine the seriousness of the offenses are the following: the acts took place in a place of religious worship and prayer. A place of worship is subconsciously and socially a place of safety, moral guidance and absolute trust. His desecration, the decision adds, by committing an offense of a sexual nature, reinforces the disdain not only because the crime takes place in an inappropriate place, but because an expectation of protection that is socially considered self-evident, especially for children, is violated. There was systematic targeting of the same child, on two different dates. There was an attempt to prevent the complaint with the WhatsApp message. There was evidence that could point to a gradual approach, offering a religious lesson as a means of access. The targeted selection of the child, the decision added, was also without a protective net, as he is a minor, of foreign origin. There was a lack of spontaneity, as acts of two dates show perseverance and purposefulness, not momentary impulse. Then, the decision points out, the deprivation of the victim's ability to escape, by isolating himself in the toilet, locking the door, covering the mouth. The minor was only 8 years old, a large age difference from the perpetrator, regardless of his own young age.
The Court sentenced him to immediate imprisonment for 30 months.
