Filenews 22 February 2026
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, 10 persons were arrested for offenses such as illegal stay, possession of narcotic substances, prohibited immigrant, assault causing actual bodily harm, impersonation, disobedience of a Court order, etc.
As part of these operations, during the night, 892 drivers and passengers were stopped and checked.
At the same time, 39 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, where 10 complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 120 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while 17 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 51 driver complaints stand out for driving under the influence of alcohol and 40 for exceeding the speed limit.
As part of the police examinations, 20 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 sixth person allegedly involved in the unprecedented incident of shooting and fighting on January 17 was identified by the Larnaca Police Department.
According to information from the Police, after evaluating information, the Larnaca Police Department, in cooperation with other Police services, arrested a 20-year-old recognized political refugee, as suspected of possession and transportation of a firearm as well as in complicity after committing offenses.
The specific person together with another person allegedly, after the incident of shooting 100 meters from ADE Larnaca, carried weapons at the behest of one of the wanted persons.
Tomorrow the suspect is expected to appear before a court for the issuance of a detention order.
It is recalled that five people are on trial for the case, including a 48-year-old man who is also allegedly involved in the serious case of torturing six people in an office of an illegal casino in Pyla. Three more foreigners are wanted, for whom there is information that they have fled abroad.
At the same time, as part of the investigation of the shootings, two well-known businessmen, 43 and 47 years old, were arrested, who are accused of interfering in a judicial process, since they allegedly tried to convince the complainant to change his testimony. The two were also referred to trial and are, on condition, free.
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After being informed by the Veterinary Services, the Police began to take statements from breeders, as well as from the veterinarians of the units where animals with foot-and-mouth disease appeared.
Statements have been taken from both breeders in whose units cases were detected in Oroklini.
According to the breeders, the animals in their units in Oroklini, where positive cases of foot-and-mouth disease were found, showed symptoms from February 14 and 16 respectively.
It is noted that not informing the Veterinary Services in time about the appearance of symptoms by breeders is an offense.
According to Article 6 of Law 109/2001 "Notification of diseases":
6.-(1)(a) Any veterinarian who detects or suspects the outbreak of any notifiable disease is obliged to notify immediately, using the fastest means of communication at his disposal, the Director or the District Veterinary Officer of the province in which he/she detected or suspected the outbreak of the disease or the nearest police station.
(b) Failure to comply with the provisions of paragraph (a) constitutes an offense in violation of the provisions of this Law and is considered improper conduct for the purposes of the provisions of article 17 of the Law on the Practice of Veterinary Medicine and the Registration of Veterinary Surgeons.
(2) Any businessman or person who has animals in his custody, care or possession must notify the Director or the District Veterinary Officer or veterinarian or the nearest police station as soon as possible, of any increased mortality or morbidity of his animals or the suspicion of the occurrence of a notifiable disease.
The examinations continue.
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The Police announced that they have proceeded with the arrest of another man, aged 31, who was wanted in connection with a case of robbery, committed two years ago in the house of a businessman in Larnaca. It is noted that he is the sixth person arrested by the police in this case.
Tomorrow the suspect is expected to appear before the Larnaca District Court for the issuance of a detention order. It is recalled that the other five arrested, 43, 42, 41, 29 and 27 years old, were referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca, which will meet on April 2.
It is noted that "the last four, 42, 41, 29 and 27 years old, were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Dimitris Andronikos, known as Dimitroui, who lost his life on May 28, 2024 after being shot three times on April 23 on the Palaichori - Anthoupoli road".
Regarding the robbery case, it is noted that "it 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."
It is added that, after the perpetrators "snatched their mobile phones and the jewellery they were wearing, they 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 found abandoned in the bed of the Germasogeia River."
A few days later, "one of the stolen watches was found on a social networking 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."
It is also reported that "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."
Along the way, it is added, 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.
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.
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As part of coordinated actions by the Anti-Narcotics Service (YKAN) to identify and seize narcotic substances and arrest members of criminal groups that traffic and trade quantities of drugs, targeted searches were carried out today in 13 vehicles, 10 houses and a premises (café).
During the searches, the following were located and confiscated:
- 965 grams of cocaine
- 216 grams of cannabis
In today's operation, 21 members of YKAN from various Echelons participated, while four persons were arrested.
Specifically:
In the home of a 31-year-old man, against whom an arrest warrant was pending for a case of 7 kilograms of cannabis (October 2025, under trial at the Limassol Criminal Court), 215 grams of cannabis and 965 grams of cocaine were found.
A 29-year-old woman was also arrested, against whom an arrest warrant was pending for the same case of 7 kilograms of cannabis.
In two other houses, a 21-year-old man (with a small amount of cannabis, he was fired after the tests) and a 30-year-old man were arrested, in whose house a small amount of cannabis was also found.
An arrest warrant was pending against the 30-year-old for a case of robbery and other offenses committed in 2024 in the province of Larnaca.
Targeted operations against drug trafficking and organised crime will continue unabated, sending a message of zero tolerance for all criminal activity.
YKAN (Limassol Unit) continues the examinations.
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On 6/2/2026, officials of the Customs Department at the Ledra Street crossing point, as part of the usual checks of persons passing through the occupied to the free areas, selected for control a person with French citizenship, who was carrying travel luggage. During the check carried out on the luggage, it was found that it contained 20 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, which did not bear markings for the harmful to health in the Greek and Turkish languages, indicating that they are duty-free. The person involved was arrested for flagrante delicto, while the goods in question were confiscated. He was later released, after his proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses with the payment of an amount of €800 was accepted.
On 12/2/2026, officials of the Customs Department at the Agios Dometios crossing point, as part of the usual checks of persons and vehicles passing through the occupied to the free areas, selected for control a vehicle driven by a woman with Cypriot citizenship. During the inspection carried out on the vehicle, it was found that it was carrying 30 boxes of 200 heated cigarettes each, which did not bear markings for the harmful to health in the Greek and Turkish languages, indicating that they are duty-free. The driver was arrested for flagrante delicto, while the goods in question and the vehicle were confiscated. She was later released, after her proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses with the payment of an amount of €900 plus €300 for the return of the vehicle was accepted.
On 15/2/2026, officials of the Customs Department at the Agios Dometios crossing point, as part of the usual checks of persons and vehicles passing through the occupied to the free areas, selected for control a vehicle driven by a person with Cypriot citizenship. During the inspection carried out on the vehicle, it was found that he was carrying 5 plastic containers with a total content of 80 liters of gasoline, in violation of the Green Line Regulation. The fuel in question was confiscated, while the proposal of the person involved for an out-of-court settlement of the offense with the payment of an amount of €400 was accepted.
