Pafos Press 6 February 2026
The Police are investigating a new case of internet fraud, following a complaint from a 79-year-old man at the Paphos TAE.
According to the complainant, and a Police statement, on January 30, 2026, he received a phone call from an unknown person, from a number that appeared to come from an online bank, in which he has an account.
The stranger introduced himself to him as a bank employee and informed him that someone was trying to access his account.
He then asked the complainant to give him his bank account password, supposedly with the aim of securing him.
The complainant was convinced and gave his password to the stranger. The stranger also asked the complainant to install a specific application on his mobile phone and follow its instructions, which the complainant also did.
The 79-year-old realized that he had been a victim of fraud when, in a subsequent check of his account, he found that the amount of €1,460 had been stolen.
The Financial Crime Investigation Office of the Paphos Financial Crimes Investigation Department is investigating the case.
On the occasion of this case, the Police remind everyone to always be careful in their transactions and to never reveal their personal codes, of any application or account. They also remind that no bank or other organization requests information about personal account codes by telephone or in any other way.
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Filenews
A five-year prison sentence was imposed today by the Larnaca Criminal Court, on a 45-year-old and a 33-year-old, who were found guilty in an arson case, committed last July, in Larnaca.
The case was committed in the early hours of July 3, 2025, when a person riding in a car threw two incendiary devices, "Molotov cocktails", in the yard of a 70-year-old man, in the province of Larnaca. A fire broke out in the yard, which was extinguished by the 70-year-old himself.
The investigation of the case was undertaken by the TAE Larnaca.
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The targeted preventive operations of the Police continued during last night, with an enhanced presence in key points of urban areas, with the aim of preventing serious criminal acts, protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
As part of these operations, members of the Police identified and arrested a total of six persons for various offenses. Specifically, in Limassol, three persons who reside illegally in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and one person were arrested for illegal stay and theft from a residence, while in Paphos one person was arrested for a case involving violence in the family and one person for causing a road collision.
During the night, more than 400 vehicles were stopped for inspection, while more than 530 people in them were checked. At the same time, 28 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of preventing and suppressing delinquent behaviours, where three complaints emerged.
From the traffic checks carried out, 114 complaints related to various traffic violations emerged. A total of 88 alcohol tests were carried out on vehicle drivers, from which two complaints emerged. At the same time, as part of the investigation of traffic offenses, six vehicles were detained.
These operations are part of a broad, continuous and strengthened preventive plan of the Police, with an increased police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action in all provinces, with the aim of preventing crime and strengthening the sense of security of citizens.
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The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal of the Attorney General and upheld the decision of the Nicosia District Court not to detain a man, who faces a total of 14 criminal charges, mainly for threats, assaults on police officers and offenses related to carrying weapons. The Court held that the Court of First Instance correctly exercised its discretion by imposing restrictive conditions instead of detention pending trial.
The case concerns two separate incidents, which led to the registration of a criminal case in the Nicosia District Court. Among other things, the accused is accused of threats against police officers, attempting to escape from legal detention, assault and causing actual bodily harm to a police officer, as well as carrying and carrying a weapon of three metal spears with 14cm blades.
The charges are linked to a long-standing dispute between the accused and a construction company that is carrying out renovation work on a building in the Municipality of Nicosia, which is adjacent to his house. According to the evidence put before the Court, the noisy work caused strong reactions from the accused's family, who lives in the house with four of his minor grandchildren, one of whom suffers from Down syndrome.
The Court of First Instance had rejected a request by the Prosecuting Authority to detain the accused until the trial, ruling that, although the offenses are serious, a risk of evasion of justice was not sufficiently documented. It also considered that the potential risk of re-offending can be dealt with under strict conditions.
Thus, the accused was released with conditions, including bail of €7.000, delivery of travel documents, a ban on leaving the Republic and crossing to the occupied territories, an obligation to be present at the Nicosia Central Police Station three times a week, as well as a ban on any harassment of workers at the construction site.
In his appeal, the Attorney General argued that the Court of First Instance underestimated the risk of re-offending, citing the defendant's continued misconduct and previous convictions. The Court of Appeal, however, ruled that there were no grounds for intervention, stressing that detention before the trial is an exceptional measure.
As a result, the appeal was dismissed and the first-instance decision was fully upheld.
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A serious traffic accident occurred on Thursday night (5/2) on the coastal avenue of Limassol, at the height of Epichosi. A 17-year-old motorcyclist is in critical condition with a serious head injury, while a 24-year-old woman was arrested and is being interrogated.
Around 7.40 p.m., a car driven by a 24-year-old woman and driving east on Chr. Hadjipavlou, in her attempt to turn right and enter the parking lot of the embankment (end of the pier where the small amphitheater is) stopped the course of a motorcycle driven west by a young man from Syria (Cypriot citizen) 17.5 years old.
According to a testimony obtained by the Limassol Traffic Police, about 700 meters before the scene of the accident, the minor motorcyclist allegedly violated a red light at the intersection of the coastal road with Akti Olympia (Garden Lights) and was moving at high speed. The driver, in her initial claim to the authorities, stated that she did not notice the motorcycle. It is noted that the two-wheeler was of the off-road type and did not have lights. In an alcohol and drug test carried out on the 24-year-old, the results were negative. A blood sample was taken from the injured person for laboratory tests.
The collision was severe, as a result of which the motorcyclist was seriously injured and in critical condition. An ambulance was called to the scene, which picked up the injured man and rushed him to the Limassol General Hospital. The 17-year-old has a craniocerebral injury and is being treated by intubation.
The case is being examined by the Limassol Traffic Police.
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Three women from India were detained, who were arrested on suspicion of illegally staying in Cyprus with false documents. As established, they had been registered as domestic workers to employers they never met, while they had been in the country illegally since 2024.
The Limassol Police Department is investigating against them the crime of securing registration with false representations, while the three women were taken to Court yesterday, which ordered their detention for one day.
It is noteworthy and subject to investigation that the women claimed that they paid sums ranging from €7,000 to €12,000 to a specific compatriot and Cypriot woman, with the promise that they would be secured an employment contract as domestic workers in Cyprus.
According to the evidence presented during the detention process, on January 21, 2026, the Aliens and Immigration Service (Limassol Unit) was informed that six women from India sought help from the authorities, as they claimed that they had arrived in Cyprus with the promise that they would be guaranteed a job with Cypriot employers. The agreement, they said, provided for the signing of an employment contract for two years, but the women stated that there was never such an agreement or signing with employers.
Upon arrival in Cyprus, the three women were found to have applied for work permits as domestic workers with three different employers. At the same time, they claimed that they were informed by the persons who arranged their work that they would be in Cyprus under the "Open Visa" regime, but without having a designated employer and that they would have to find employers on their own. Although they had paid to secure a residence permit and work, the "Open Visa" category does not exist in Cypriot law.
The three women stated that all the arrangements for their arrival in Cyprus had been made by two specific persons, who acted as "agents" and reside in Cyprus. During the investigation, it was found that the foreigners are not victims of human trafficking, however they resided illegally in Cyprus and worked illegally as domestic workers in Limassol. Investigations are ongoing and their allegations are expected to be investigated.
