Tuesday, February 17, 2026

CRIME ROUND UP

 Filenews 17 February 2026



There is no end to sexual cases, as well as drug cases involving minors. The new serious case concerns two young Iranians who are accused of serious crimes. One faces charges of sexual abuse of a minor and possession and dissemination of pornographic material.

In addition to the above, the two defendants allegedly possessed and supplied cocaine, ecstasy pills and methamphetamine to the minor, who, according to her, is a substance user.

The two defendants were arrested in the previous days and today, Monday (16/2), in a closed-door procedure before the Limassol Court, the case was registered and referred for trial before the Limassol Criminal Court, which will meet at the end of March.

The investigators of the case requested the detention of the two defendants until the trial, however, their lawyers expressed the intention to submit an objection to the detention request. Due to the time, the Court set the procedure for tomorrow. Until then, he ordered the two defendants to remain in custody.

The case came to light after the minor complained to the authorities, who allegedly stated that she had been in a relationship with one of the two defendants since last May until recently. As she claimed, she used drugs with him every day, which were supplied by the second defendant.

One defendant faces a total of 12 charges, including that of sexual act with a child under the age of 17, while the second faces six charges related to possession and possession for the purpose of supplying Class A drugs.

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The Police proceeded to arrest a 22-year-old man, who was wanted in connection with an investigated case of demanding money with threats and theft, offenses committed on February 08, in the province of Limassol. Now, the arrests for this case amount to three.

According to the data under investigation, around 7.30 in the evening of February 08, while a 24-year-old food delivery man was driving his motorcycle on a road in the Ypsonas area, under circumstances that are being investigated, he collided with the motorcycle driven by another passing driver.

After the collision, the second motorcyclist allegedly attacked the 24-year-old and demanded money, allegedly as compensation for the damage suffered by his motorcycle, while other persons arrived at the scene, who also allegedly attacked the 24-year-old and demanded that he give money to the other motorcyclist.

The suspects then allegedly stole the 24-year-old's mobile phone and a sum of money and fled.

The scene was visited by members of the Police for examinations, while the 24-year-old was transported by ambulance to a hospital, where he received medical examinations and treatment and was discharged the same night.

The TAE Limassol continues the examinations.

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A 40-year-old resident of Nicosia was arrested yesterday afternoon on a court warrant and taken into custody to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of arson of a building in Nicosia.

Specifically, yesterday morning information was received about a fire in a building in Nicosia. The fire was extinguished by neighbors before the arrival of the Fire Service, while members of the Police carried out examinations at the scene.

From the examinations, it was found that the fire was maliciously set with the use of flammable material, while minor material damage was caused both inside and outside the building.

In the context of investigation and evaluation of evidence, testimony emerged against the above arrestee.

The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.

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Three persons aged 17, 21 and 24 were arrested last night on the basis of court warrants to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of conspiracy to commit a felony and cause grievous bodily harm, offenses committed on 12/2/2026.

Specifically, in the early morning hours of February 13, a 46-year-old resident of Limassol reported to the Police that, on the night of February 12, while he was driving his car on a road in Limassol, an unknown car in which four people were riding stopped his course. Immediately afterwards, according to the complaint, the four occupants seem to have attacked him and beat him in various parts of his body and then left the scene.

The 46-year-old visited a private hospital in Limassol where he was found to have fractured nasal bones, bruises and abrasions. He received first aid and was discharged.

In the context of the investigation of the case, testimony emerged against the above arrested.

The TAE Limassol continues the examinations.

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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, nine persons were arrested for various offenses, such as, among others, conspiracy to commit a felony, causing grievous bodily harm, possession of drugs, carrying knives and illegal stay on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.

As part of these operations, during the night, 363 checks were carried out on drivers and passengers of vehicles. At the same time, 24 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, during which a complaint emerged.

During traffic checks carried out, 143 complaints emerged, concerning various traffic violations, of which 50 complaints from drivers for violating the speed limit stand out. 22 traffic cases also emerged. As part of the checks, 53 alcohol tests were carried out during which 2 complaints emerged. As part of the police examinations, 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.

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A man who crashed a stolen vehicle into a British Bases Police patrol car during a chase in Xylofagou has been arrested and remanded in custody until the start of his trial on February 26, according to official information.

The arrest took place on February 11, after the Cyprus Police informed the BB police officers in Dhekelia that a single-cabin pick-up vehicle, which had been stolen from the village of Pyrga, was found moving inside the BB on a dirt road.

Two patrol cars immediately rushed to the scene, where they found a 33-year-old Greek Cypriot burning the registration and ownership documents of the vehicle, after he had previously removed the license plates. As soon as he realized the presence of the police, the suspect fled at high speed, trying to head towards the highway. A second patrol car had parked with the lighths on, blocking the dirt road. In his attempt to escape arrest, the 33-year-old lost control of the vehicle, which overturned and crashed into the patrol car.

The Deputy Assistant Police Director of Dhekelia, Markos Petrou, praised the professionalism of the members of the response team who participated in the arrest, as well as the Crime Detection Department (TAE) that is conducting the investigations.

As he stated: "This is an excellent example of excellent and coordinated action by the Response Team, which immediately evaluated the information received and reacted effectively, leading to the arrest of the suspect. " The subsequent investigation by the TAE also revealed that the suspect is allegedly involved in a recent case of theft from a house under construction in Ormidia, which occurred last December. "Our cooperation with the Cyprus Police is an important tool in the prevention and investigation of crimes and this particular incident demonstrates the strong foundations and continuous strengthening of this cooperation."

After his arrest, it was also found that the suspect was under the influence of methamphetamine and cannabis. A subsequent search found a small amount of drugs in his possession as well as a folding knife. At the same time, a pending arrest warrant for drug-related offenses, which was issued in September last year, was executed against him. The suspect now faces charges of theft, drug possession, carrying a knife weapon, dangerous and reckless driving, driving under the influence of drugs, as well as various other traffic violations.

The Cyprus Police remains in close cooperation with the BB Police, as the arrested person is a person of interest in multiple cases involving drugs and theft, including the theft of this vehicle.

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The Cyprus Police made a decisive contribution to the identification, arrest and conviction of a 53-year-old man in the USA, for sexual abuse of children via the internet. The 53-year-old was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The investigation of the case began with information received from the Cybercrime Prosecution Branch in 2020. During the investigation of the case, it was found that the suspect resided in the USA, while testimony was obtained that his action against children was timeless with a large number of victims, in various US states.

After the US authorities were informed, the investigation of the case was taken over by the FBI New York. In close cooperation with the investigators of the Cybercrime Prosecution Branch, the investigations of the US authorities identified and identified more victims, aged between 13 and 17.

The 53-year-old was located and arrested, while on January 29, 2026, he was sentenced by a US Court to 12 years in prison without the right to early release.

The safety and protection of children from such heinous crimes is one of the priorities of the Cyprus Police. This case shows that sexual offences against children are a form of cross-border crime. At the same time, it proves that cooperation and exchange of information between the Law Enforcement Authorities of various countries brings excellent results for the administration of justice.

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A 63-year-old man was arrested this morning in Limassol and taken into custody, against whom a European arrest warrant was pending, which was issued by the Greek authorities to serve a prison sentence.

Specifically, the 63-year-old had been sentenced to many years in prison in Greece, for offenses related to narcotic substances.

He is expected to be brought before the Limassol District Court today to start the extradition process in the applicant country.

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The Limassol Permanent Criminal Court imposed a suspended sentence today (17/2) at noon on the 47-year-old accused in connection with the murder of 45-year-old Giannis Argyrou, who was murdered in the early hours of May 4, 2025 in the garage of the apartment building where he lived, receiving 19 stab wounds in various parts of his body. The perpetrator, the 52-year-old defendant and former partner of the 47-year-old.

The Limassol Permanent Criminal Court imposed concurrent sentences, with the longest amounting to four months in prison for the charge of illegal use of one gram of cocaine. Exercising its discretion, the Criminal Court suspended the sentences for a period of three years from today.

The accused is expected to testify as a prosecution witness against her ex-partner, who is accused of premeditated murder.

It is noted that during the previous hearing, the 47-year-old admitted the charges of illegal possession of cocaine and illegal use of cocaine, while the charge of complicity after committing a felony was suspended on the instructions of the Attorney General.

Although the 52-year-old does not admit any involvement in the murder of his friend, as Filenews had written in a previous report, the 47-year-old stated in her testimonies that the 52-year-old told her twice that he killed the victim and pointed the knife at her.

According to what he testified, at some point he left the garage, where he was with the 52-year-old and the victim, in order to obtain drugs. Shortly after, the 52-year-old called her on the phone, asking her to return to pick him up. She spotted him outside the garage with his clothes covered in blood and, according to her words, revealed to her that he killed Argyrou. She claimed that her partner was extremely jealous of him.

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In a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court that will meet on April 2 in Larnaca, 5 foreigners of Arab origin, 43, 42, 41, 29 and 27 years old, accused of a movie robbery at a businessman's house in Larnaca exactly two years ago, were indicted.

The last four were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Dimitris Andronikos, known as Dimitroui, who died on May 28, 2024 after three shots he had received on April 23 on the Palaichori - Anthoupoli road. The robbery was reported on February 19, 2024 by the businessman's 58-year-old wife, who experienced moments of terror together with her two domestic helpers. In the early hours of the same day, four hooded men, who were wearing gloves, entered the house and with the threat of garden shears confined the 58-year-old and the two domestic helpers to a bedroom on the first floor of the house, located in the Faneromeni area.

The perpetrators, after grabbing their mobile phones and the jewelry they were wearing, forced the 58-year-old to open the safe, from which they snatched watches, gold and money worth €188.000. After processing the material from closed surveillance circuits, it was found that there were five perpetrators and that they were trafficked in a specific vehicle that was stolen from Limassol and was found abandoned in the bed of the Germasogeia River. A few days later, one of the stolen watches was found on a social media platform, which was found to have been sold in a jewellery store in Lebanon.

Its owner had revealed that it was forwarded to him by people who contacted him from Cyprus. On March 14, 2024, a 41-year-old man from Syria, who is alleged to be the person who called Lebanon from Cyprus, was arrested as a suspect. A few days later, a 30-year-old man was also arrested, who admitted to selling two rings that had been stolen in a jewellery store in Nicosia. In the process, the 41-year-old, who had been arrested for the murder of Andronikos, in his voluntary testimony implicated the other three convicts. A 43-year-old man from Iraq was arrested on February 11, 2026 for the same case, while a 27-year-old man is also wanted. The five defendants face charges of conspiracy to commit a felony, robbery, night burglary and theft.

The 43-year-old from Iraq objected to his detention and the court reserved his decision for tomorrow. It is noted that another case was filed against the 30-year-old, who allegedly sold rings.