Sunday, February 15, 2026

CRIME ROUND UP

 Pafos Live 15 February 2026



As part of the actions and surveillance carried out by YKAN to identify and arrest members of criminal groups that traffic and trade large quantities of drugs, a coordinated operation was carried out today in which 27 members of YKAN (from various Units of the Service) took part, in Larnaca.

During the operation, nine people were arrested, houses, premises and vehicles were searched, while seized, among other things, about 400 grams of cocaineabout 150 grams of cannabisprecision scalesten mobile phonesa pistol with a silencera firearm, the sum of 9.605 euros, as well as three vehicles.

The examinations continue by YKAN Larnaca, while a financial investigation will also be carried out in relation to what was confiscated during the operation.

* * * * * *


Filenews

Upon arrival at Larnaca airport, the 22-year-old Ukrainian, who was wanted in connection with a quarrel that took place in the morning hours of New Year's Eve at a premises on Saripolou Street, in Limassol, was arrested. The suspect allegedly hit the 29-year-old with a glass glass, causing him serious facial injuries. The crime of causing grievous bodily harm is being investigated against him, while three more persons are being sought for the same case.

The suspect was brought before the Limassol District Court on Saturday morning, which approved the request of the investigators of the TAE Limassol and ordered his detention for a period of four days.

According to the data under investigation, around 05:00 in the early hours of New Year's Day, the 29-year-old complainant was in a night property on Saripolou Street. As he said in his testimony, he had gone to the specific property with his friends to celebrate the change of the year.

At some point, when he went to the toilet, he met a man whom he had met a few days earlier in the same place and with whom a friend of his had quarrelled. After wishing him a "happy new year", the suspect allegedly started provoking him and yelling at him, as a result of which they were pushing each other.

Then, when the two men went out of the premises, according to the complainant, the suspect allegedly took out a glass object he had hidden in his jacket and hit him in the face.

The 29-year-old was seriously injured and was transported by ambulance to a private hospital in Limassol, where he was found to have a fractured frontal sinus, a fracture of the base of the skull, a fractured nasal bone and active nosebleeds and was kept for treatment.

From further examinations carried out, the complainant identified as the perpetrator a 29-year-old Ukrainian, who was in Cyprus as a tourist and left Cyprus the next day.

From the check carried out in the arrivals and departures system, it was found that this is a person who arrived in Cyprus on 27/12/25 and departed on January 2, 2026 from Larnaca airport.

As part of the Police investigations, closed surveillance circuits of the area were examined, in which they recorded the incident. Specifically, about six people talk and then one of them puts his hand inside the jacket and then hits the complainant in the face.

An arrest warrant was issued against the suspect and he was wanted. The 22-year-old yesterday 13/2 was arrested at Larnaca airport upon his arrival in Cyprus after assuming that no complaint would be made against him.

He was then taken to the offices of the Limassol Police Department for interrogation and taken into custody. Police investigations are underway while eight more statements are expected to be taken, a reconnaissance faction will be carried out and three more persons who were allegedly with the suspect will be located.

* * * * * *

Around 2.30 p.m. yesterday, members of the Police during a patrol signalled to a vehicle driver to stop for a check.

The person in question did not comply with the instructions of the police, while he continued to drive negligently and dangerously, as a result of which at some point on the road he collided with the official vehicle and was immobilized.

In a subsequent search, a number of watches, various jewellery, car keys, a knife, two bats, as well as a small amount of cannabis were found inside the vehicle.

The driver of the vehicle, aged 40, was arrested for the self-inflicted crime of illegal possession of property, while he underwent a preliminary drug test with a positive indication.

The examinations continue by the Limassol Traffic Police, the Central Police Station and the Limassol YKAN.

* * * * * *

The presence and action of the Police last night was intense, throughout Cyprus, with organized patrols in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, ensuring public order and increasing the sense of security of the public.

As a result of the preventive policing operations, seven persons were arrested for various offenses, including driving under the influence of alcohol and exceeding the speed limit.

As part of these operations, during the night, 666 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 744 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 57 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, from which six complaints emerged.

During traffic checks carried out, 233 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, of which 26 driver complaints for driving under the influence of alcohol stand out. A total of 512 alcohol tests were carried out. As part of the police examinations, 14 vehicles were detained.

Coordinated policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an increased/enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, with the aim of increasing the sense of security of citizens/protecting citizens and ensuring public order.

* * * * * *

Under draconian security measures, the 48-year-old with Cypriot citizenship and the 27-year-old from Palestine, who were arrested when horrific videos of the torture of 7 people in the casino office in Pyla were found on the former's mobile phones. The detention order of the two was renewed for another five days, with the Police looking for another person and trying to identify more.

The Larnaca Police Department proceeded on February 6 to re-arrest the 48-year-old, who is on trial for the unprecedented episode of fighting and shooting in the center of Larnaca on January 17. His mobile phones had found 25 videos of torture of people who were brutally beaten in order either to "confess" allegedly criminal acts against the 48-year-old, or to pay money.

As reported in court, the investigators of the TAE Larnaca identified four of the victims, some of whom also gave statements. Specifically, the third victim was identified who allegedly verbally stated that he transferred his vehicle, signing a transfer form to a third person "under the regime of fear and threat".

In addition, a statement was taken from the fifth victim who identified himself in the videos, as well as the first suspect (48-year-old). As it was told in court, the sixth victim was also identified, who stated that he is abroad, while the fourth victim was also located and a statement was taken. It was also found, according to the Police, that the fourth victim went for a medical examination to the Nicosia hospital after the abuse he had suffered.

According to what was said in court, in a further check carried out on the mobile phone of the first suspect, additional witness material was found in relation to the fourth victim and the first and second suspects.

Another 15 statements will be taken for the case, while efforts are being made to identify the other victims. Examinations in hospitals and private clinics are also continuing to determine whether any of the victims visited medical centers after being tortured. In addition, the two pistols depicted in the videos, knives, as well as other offensive instruments are being sought. Under the microscope are also closed surveillance circuits that were detected in Pyla.

What the videos include

1st victim: He appears to be sitting on a grey sofa, inside the room/office wearing short pants with a short jersey and being without shoes. He can be heard speaking Greek and seems to have bruises on his head and a swollen right eye. The 48-year-old asks him if he burned his car and then punches him in the head, insults him and spits on him. At one point, the victim's short pants appear wet, who seems to have urinated during his torture. In another video, a continuation of the previous one, the 1st victim can be seen lying on the sofa and above him stands the 1st suspect (48-year-old), who hits him with the knife blade on the head, with him shouting. The 1st suspect then tells them to take the victim's genitals out in order to cut them off and then spits in his face and hits him in the ribs with his knee.

2nd victim: This is a foreigner who appears to be sitting on a chair inside the office. The second victim, who is a foreigner, begs not to be beaten. At some point, the 1st suspect appears, who holds a metal object in his right hand and furiously hits him on the head, asking for the money in English. The victim cries and the 1st suspect continues to beat him, while at some point blood starts flowing from his nose. In the other video, which is a continuation of the previous one, the 2nd victim is again shown sitting in the same chair and the 2nd suspect (27-year-old) can be seen beating him, with the victim crying loudly, while from the blows it seems that he falls under the chair. At this point, the voice of the first suspect is heard asking if he will give the money. In this video, the person wanted by the Police also seems to be beating him.

3rd victim: He appears to be sitting on the couch and the 1st suspect puts a pistol in his mouth, with him in a state of shock. Then the victim, as can be seen in the video, also seems to receive blows. The 1st suspect seems to be holding a mobile phone, with which he possibly shows a photo to the 3rd victim and asks him if he knows him. The victim answers in one word, since he cannot speak due to the fact that the pistol is in his mouth.

4th victim: The fourth victim appears to have the 1st suspect on top of him, who was holding a knife and a sharpening tool. The 48-year-old seems to start sharpening the knife and asking when he will pay off what the victim owes him, to which he replies that he will do so in two weeks. Subsequently, the 1st suspect appears to hit him in the face, threatening to stab him with the knife. He then stabs him with the blade of the knife in his left hand. In another video, the 4th victim can again be seen sitting on the sofa, while blood is flowing from his nose, which he tries to stop with a handkerchief. He then receives blows from the wanted person, with the victim begging him to stop.

5th victim: He is on the sofa and wears a short jersey on top, on which there appear to be blood-like stains. Some faces can be heard shouting something in Arabic, with his pants and underwear down. The wanted man hits him with a belt on the lower body, while the victim's lips appear to bleed.

6th victim: Appears in 16 videos taken in the specific room/office where the sofa is located. He looks beaten, as blood is flowing from his lips and face. In these videos, the voice of the 1st suspect is recognized, who seems to be "interrogating" the victim about various security issues, since he thought he was watching his house, on the instructions of another person, with the intention of harming him. At one point, the victim can be seen on the sofa holding his head with both hands and the 1st suspect shouting at him and asking who put him to kill him. In this video, the wanted man also appears, as well as two other people who throw him off the sofa and kick him with their feet.

7th victim: He seems to be sitting on the same sofa and the 1st suspect, holding a gold-coloured pistol and a knife, persistently asks him for money. The 1st suspect then slaps him in the face and then spits on him. The 1st suspect continues to hit him in the face with his hands and then a second person, who is not distinguishable, kicks him in the face.

It is noted that what is reported about the videos was submitted to the court during the detention process of the two suspects.