Pafos Live 24 March 2026
Members of the Poaching and Surveillance Unit of the Police's Green Line located a double-cab vehicle with Turkish Cypriot registration numbers, driven by a 30-year-old Turkish Cypriot, passing through the occupied areas through an unapproved crossing point in the area of Agios Sozomenos.
During the inspection of the vehicle, they found that it was carrying a large amount of goods in the back, so they took it to the Pera Chorio Police Station and immediately called officials of the Customs Department to take over the case due to competence.
The officials of the Customs Department who took over the case found that 100 kg of green peppers of unknown origin were being transported in the vehicle in question, which they confiscated for a double violation of the Green Line Regulation (crossing an unapproved crossing point and transporting goods without the required formalities).
The vehicle was also confiscated as the means of transporting the goods. Shortly afterwards, the Turkish Cypriot driver was released after his request for an out-of-court settlement of the offenses with the payment of an amount of €2,000 plus €500 for the return of the vehicle was accepted.
The vehicle and the goods remained temporarily at the Pera Chorio Police Station for their disinfection process. The goods will be picked up by the Customs Department for destruction.
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Filenews
A 23-year-old man went to pick up a package with about a kilogram of drugs from the Post Office in Nicosia, but members of YKAN were lurking and handcuffed him.
The package had arrived from America at the headquarters of the Post Office on Prodromou Avenue and was found to contain around one kilogram of cannabis. After the necessary tests were carried out on the package, the Anti-Drug Service was informed and put it under surveillance. Today at noon, a 23-year-old man from Nicosia appeared and received the package.
Then the members of YKAN intervened and arrested him. He is expected to be interrogated to determine where the cannabis would be channelled and at the same time, the way of ordering the package will be detected. It is not excluded that tomorrow the young man will be brought before the Court to request his detention.
Meanwhile, today the Nicosia District Court renewed the detention order of a 29-year-old man from Nicosia, who had been in custody since last week, after the discovery of bags of cocaine weighing 30 g, cannabis also 30 g. and €4,770. YKAN secured a new detention order for the 29-year-old for another seven days, in order to investigate what is behind this serious case.
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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, ten persons were arrested for various offenses, such as, among others, theft, carrying knives, possession of drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol, and illegal stay on the territory of the Republic.
As part of these operations, during the night, 500 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 713 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 28 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency.
During traffic checks carried out, 211 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while 16 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged. As part of the police examinations, 8 vehicles were detained.
Of the complaints made about traffic violations, 76 complaints for exceeding the speed limit stand out. For driving under the influence of alcohol, 153 vehicle driver checks were carried out, during which two complaints were made, while for driving under the influence of drugs, two driver checks were carried out, with positive preliminary results.
Coordinated policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, in order to protect citizens and ensure public order.
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The Larnaca Police handcuffed one person in connection with the case of theft of a patrol car from a checkpoint for foot-and-mouth disease in the SOPAZ industrial area in Aradippou.
According to information from Filenews, he is a 25-year-old Greek Cypriot from Livadia, who again engaged the authorities for drug cases. The suspect will be brought before the Larnaca District Court for the issuance of a detention order.
The incredible incident happened around 1 am on Monday. The police officer in charge, who does not belong to ADE Larnaca but was recruited to strengthen measures for foot-and-mouth disease, was outside the van, which bore the insignia of the Police. According to information, he allegedly stated that he was away for a while in order to get some of his personal belongings from his private vehicle parked in the area. As everything shows, however, he forgot the keys to the starter, a fact that was taken advantage of by the perpetrator, who grabbed the police vehicle and began to move away from the area.
The police officer noticed the perpetrator and started chasing him in his private vehicle. After traveling a long distance and arriving in Larnaca, the suspect entered a dead end, abandoned the patrol car and fled on foot in the dark, according to information from the Police, who clarified that there was no sensitive equipment in her van.
The Police are investigating under what circumstances the theft of the police vehicle took place, which was mobilized in an emergency to staff all the checkpoints for foot-and-mouth disease.
It is noted that the member of the Police who at the time was in charge of the specific vehicle, was suspended until the investigation of the circumstances of the theft and for committing disciplinary offenses on his part.
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Around 3:40 in the early hours of this morning, while a 41-year-old man was driving his car on Tseriou Avenue in Nicosia, under circumstances that are being investigated, he collided with a car driven by a 45-year-old woman.
As a result of the collision, the two vehicles suffered minor damage, while the 45-year-old was transported by ambulance to Nicosia General Hospital, where after receiving the necessary medical treatment, she was then discharged.
The 45-year-old was subjected to an alcohol test with a zero indication, while a 41-year-old in a final alcohol test that was subjected was found positive with an indication of 83μg% instead of 22μg% which is the maximum limit by the Law.
The 41-year-old, after being arrested, was taken into custody and is expected to appear within the day before the Nicosia District Court, for the immediate registration of a case against him, in relation to the offenses he allegedly committed.
The Nicosia Traffic Police continues the examinations.
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An important development took place in the case of burglaries investigated by the Police, as a cargo allegedly linked to the action of an organized gang of Georgians was found.
According to information, after examinations and coordinated actions of the investigative team, a suspicious cargo was identified that had been sent by container to Thessaloniki, even before it was received by the recipients.
In cooperation with the Greek authorities, a detailed check was carried out, during which property estimated to be related to the burglaries for which three people of Georgian origin are accused, who have already been arrested, was identified.
The investigations of the authorities continue, with the aim of fully investigating the case and identifying any accomplices.
It should be noted that the three suspects are expected to be brought before the Limassol District Court again today for the renewal of their detention.
Update - According to information, the members of the Limassol Police Department, during a passport check of the two suspects found during the search of the 49-year-old's room in Nicosia, but also in a conversation with the bi-communal contact group, found that the two suspects arrived in the occupied territories through an illegal airport on February 16 and then illegally entered the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
As part of the examinations, the manager of the apartment on Germasogeias Street stated that the reservation was made through a specific website by a third person of Georgian origin, who paid for two people to stay for the period March 10 to March 20.
It should be noted that the 49-year-old suspect gave written consent to the Police to check his mobile phone. During the audit, on March 20, he received a message from a transport company for a package in his name.
The package in question was received by the Police as evidence and, after being photographed, it was opened. It was found to contain special tools and keys used to break locks and commit burglaries without obvious traces of tampering, which demonstrates its involvement in a criminal organization.
As part of the examinations, testimony was obtained that a suspect sent two packages to another country, by sea. From the Police investigations, it was found that the ship is anchored in the port of Thessaloniki and all the necessary actions have been taken in cooperation with the Greek authorities, in order to seize the packages.
The control of the packages by the Greek authorities identified a number of stolen items coming from burglaries, in which the suspects are involved.
Preliminarily, it appears that, after the burglaries of houses, the loot was placed in packages and through transport companies, they sent them first to Greece and then to their place of origin.
Also, according to testimony, it was written that the items sent were toys and sports equipment.
Investigations into the Georgian gang are ongoing and the Police are expected to request help from Interpol Greece to identify the sender of the package to the 49-year-old suspect and secure his details. Initially, a national and then a European arrest warrant is expected, as a conspiracy between those involved is apparent.
The suspects face the offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, participation in a criminal organisation, money laundering, burglary and theft (8 cases for the second suspect and 9 cases for the first and third suspects), as well as attempted burglary, illegal possession of property, impersonation, forgery, circulation of a forged document, illegal entry and stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus.
The offenses were allegedly committed from December 30, 2025 until March 18, 2026.
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They do not say that the criminal actions against the 40-year-old Russian businessman, who is being targeted for the third time in a few months, will stop. The 40-year-old may have asked for security from the Police, who provide protection to him, his family and his property, however, this does not seem to concern the brains behind the new criminal act. The people behind the attacks seem to seek to put pressure on the businessman on issues related to protection.
The new criminal act concerned the placement of an explosive device outside a fast food restaurant that he maintains in the area of the old port. The perpetrators struck shortly before 05:00 in the early hours of Tuesday (24/3), placing a low-power improvised explosive device at the entrance of the premises, which exploded, causing damage. According to the information available to the Police, two perpetrators are involved in the case, who approached the scene on foot.
The previous criminal actions against the 40-year-old concerned arson, which differs from the new criminal act and has been put under the microscope of the investigators of the TAE Limassol as to the way of acting. The first case concerned the arson of his luxury vehicles in Mouttagiaka, committed on November 26, 2025. The perpetrator moved on foot inside the fenced parking lot and doused the luxury vehicles with flammable material.
The second criminal act was recorded in a liquor store he maintains on the coastal road of Germasogeia, on December 18, 2025, where, according to CCTV video, the perpetrator approached the premises and set fire to the entrance of the store.
As the Limassol Assistant Police Director, Lefteris Kyriakou, stated in his statements, the 40-year-old does not seem to have received threats recently, noting, however, that there have been relevant complaints in the past. He was called today to testify to the authorities, but without being particularly enlightening. The fact that the Russian businessman was a close associate of the murdered Stavros Demosthenous is also put into the equation.
It is recalled that the Police, in the context of a request for pre-trial detention of one of those arrested for criminal acts committed between November 2025 and January 2026, two of which concerned the 40-year-old businessman, spoke of a criminal organization. According to what the head of the case, Lieutenant Panagiotis Mouridis, said, the organization is making demands for sums of money from businessmen, with threats, in order to provide protection. In cases of refusal, he allegedly proceeded to malicious actions, such as arson of property, as a means of blackmail and pressure.
The authorities have put under their microscope various closed surveillance circuits, in an attempt to solve the third criminal act against the 40-year-old. At the same time, statements are being taken from various persons, while the evidence received from the scene will be subjected to the necessary examinations, with the aim of identifying evidence that will lead to the perpetrators.
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The two defendants proceeded to change their attitude and admit to the charges they face, who extorted sums of money from unsuspecting landowners, with false promises of quick compensation and the sale of properties in the occupied territories, mainly in the province of Famagusta.
The two women, aged 44 and 53, appeared today before the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court, where the hearing of the case was set, after on December 15, 2025, they had responded with a non-admission to the charges they were facing. However, today the two defendants changed their position, stating through their lawyers that they would admit the charges.
Specifically, the 44-year-old admitted 16 charges, including 12 for securing goods with false representations and 4 for money laundering. The 53-year-old admitted two charges related to fraud. The offenses, according to the indictment, were committed during the period 2023–2025.
In view of the admissions of the accused, the Prosecuting Authority, represented by the Senior Advocate of the Republic, Andreas Aristides, stated that, exercising the powers granted by the Constitution to the Attorney General and based on the instructions received, it will discontinue the remaining charges that the defendants have not admitted. Following the above statement, the Criminal Court suspended and acquitted the defendants of these charges.
The complainants, most of them relatives to each other, exceed 18 in number, while the two defendants extorted a total amount of money that reaches €300,000. The promises they made to the complainants concerned either compensation through the so-called Compensation Committee, or procedures for the sale of their properties. The victims stated in their complaints that they paid money either in cash or through the online platform Revolut, for alleged costs of valuations and sales processes.
The 44-year-old, as the complainants complained, presented herself to them as a lawyer with connections in the occupied territories, while the second defendant claimed that she had contacts with a Greek Cypriot investor, who buys properties in the occupied areas.
According to the complaints, the 44-year-old repeatedly demanded sums of money for assessments and procedural costs, which the victims paid either in cash or through Revolut.
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A Police operation today (24/3) in the early hours of the morning at the Central Prison, led to the discovery of mobile phones which were in the possession of prisoners.
The raid was carried out by members of the TAE Headquarters after information that convicts managed to enter new generation mobile phones and use them. According to information from filenews, in the early hours of the morning and after consultation with the Prison management, a team of investigators entered the prison and began searches in cells in which long-term convicts live.
The investigations revealed two mobile phones which were hidden in the cells of two prisoners which were confiscated so that they could be sent for forensic control and data extraction. Importing and possessing mobile phones inside prisons is now a criminal offense punishable by two years in prison or a fine of €6,000 or both sentences together.
The relevant legislation was passed by the Parliament on January 29, 2026 and provides for more increased penalties when it concerns prison officers. The detection of the two mobile phones today follows the discovery of other mobile phones recently, after the installation of a new system which currently detects any signal emitted by an electronic device.
At the moment, steps are being taken to expand the system to cut off the signal sent from mobile phone antennas, in order to eliminate the major problem with mobile phones through which crimes have been ordered from prison cells.
Due to the measures taken both by the Prison management and due to the installation of a system to detect the signal emitted by a mobile phone, the price of their sale to prisoners has increased sharply. From reports that exist through information, the process to introduce a mobile phone into prisons and reach a prisoner, will have a total cost of €5,000 to €25,000.
