Wednesday, April 1, 2026

CRIME ROUND UP

 Filenews 1 April 2026



The actions of the Police throughout Cyprus continue, 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.

During the checks, the Police proceeded to arrest twelve persons. Two persons were arrested in the province of Nicosia by virtue of court warrants for investigated cases against them concerning the offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony, burglary, theft, etc.

In the province of Limassol, three persons were arrested on the basis of arrest warrants. Specifically, two persons were arrested for an investigated case of attempted murder and one person for crimes of violence in the family.

In the province of Larnaca, one person was arrested for possession of duty-free tobacco products, while in Paphos, four persons were arrested for offenses related to the possession of burglary tools, illegal possession of property and illegal possession of narcotic substances. Finally, in the province of Famagusta, two persons were arrested for illegal stay on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus as well as traffic offenses.

As part of these operations, during the night, 598 vehicles were stopped for inspection and a total of 728 drivers and passengers were checked. At the same time, 42 inspections were carried out in premises, where the managers/managers of five of them were reported for offenses in violation of their operation.

During traffic checks carried out, 317 drivers were reported for various traffic violations. Of these, 133 complaints concerned exceeding the speed limit, while another nine related to driving under the influence of alcohol as well as two for driving under the influence of drugs. Also, as part of the police examinations, nine vehicles were detained.

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.

* * * * * *

The Police arrested two persons aged 41 and 39 in connection with the case of attempted murder committed on March 30 in Limassol.

The two arrested, who were arrested on the basis of court warrants, are expected to appear before a Court today for a detention order.

It is recalled that on Monday night there was a fierce clash between two groups of Iranians in the coastal area of Limassol.

Three people were taken injured to the hospital, where they are being held for treatment. One of the injured has gunshot wounds to the legs.

In addition to the person who received the two shots, his other two compatriots have serious head injuries, which were caused by a crowbar.

One of the people involved allegedly pulled out a pistol and fired a number of shots.

The total number of arrests after the two new ones now reaches 8.

* * * * * *

As part of the investigation of a case involving negligent and reckless acts, reckless and dangerous driving, illegal possession and transport of duty-free items, causing malicious damage, as well as other offenses, committed yesterday in Nicosia, a search was carried out with a court warrant, in the vehicle in which the two arrested were riding.

During the search, the following were located and seized:

127,000 cigarettes,40,000
heated cigarettes,96
kg and 500 grams of cigarette smoke,102
kg of hookah tobacco,1,000
cigarillos

The two arrested, aged 37 and 39, are expected to appear today before the Nicosia District Court for the issuance of a detention order.

The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.

* * * * * *

The Police arrested four persons, three men aged 33, 30 and 26 and a woman aged 33, after a coordinated operation carried out by the Nicosia Police Department, in the context of investigating cases of burglary and theft, committed in recent days, in the province of Nicosia.

Specifically, the members of the Nicosia Police Department located shortly before 12.00 yesterday afternoon and stopped for a check, a 33-year-old man who was traveling by car, in an area in the province of Nicosia. The 33-year-old was wanted, after an arrest warrant had been issued against him, in relation to six investigated cases of building burglary, theft, illegal entry into property, causing malicious damage to property, and conspiracy to commit a felony, offenses committed in the period between 09 and 28 March, in buildings under construction in the province of Nicosia.

The members of the Police proceeded to arrest the 33-year-old, pursuant to the court warrant, and then, at his residence, they located and proceeded to arrest a 33-year-old woman, who was also wanted in connection with the six investigated cases.

In the residence and car of the 33-year-old, members of the Police found a large number of objects, such as electrical and other professional tools, scales, and cables, which, according to the data under investigation, are stolen property. When interrogated, the 33-year-old suspect admitted both the six cases for which a court warrant had been issued for his arrest, as well as two more cases of a similar nature.

Continuing the investigations yesterday, the members of the Police located around 8.30 pm, in an area in Nicosia, a 30-year-old man, against whom an arrest warrant had also been issued, in relation to the cases under investigation. The 30-year-old was riding in a car driven by a 26-year-old man who developed speed, driving the vehicle to escape, however the members of the Police followed and stopped the vehicle of the two suspects and proceeded to arrest the 30-year-old, pursuant to the court warrant.

In a search of the 30-year-old's residence, a number of construction tools were also found, while he pointed out to the members of the Police, a place in an area in Nicosia, where a bag containing tools was found hidden.

The 26-year-old driver of the car was also arrested, for the self-inflicted crime of illegal possession of property, after in a search of his vehicle, the members of the Police found a number of tools, for the possession of which he did not give sufficient explanations.

The four suspects were taken into custody, with the Burglary Squad of the Nicosia Police Department continuing the examinations.

* * * * * *

Thriller in the early hours of the morning yesterday with a van that came illegally from the occupied territories to the free areas, escaped the police, was chased through the streets of Nicosia and stopped in the area of the Latsia weighing station, after shots were fired.

Inside the white van were two people, the driver who comes from Turkey but holds a Bulgarian identity card and the passenger who is apparently a Turkish Cypriot who holds an identity card of the Republic. 

However, the van has not yet been opened as the driver does not give his consent and according to information from filenews, the Police have applied for a search and seizure warrant. It is estimated that this was used to illegally transport tobacco products from the occupied to the free areas.

It all started in the early hours of the morning, with vehicles of the Poaching Unit of the MMAD and the Police taking up position in the area of Lympia, after information about the smuggling of tobacco products. At some point, the van was seen leaving the occupied areas through an illegal passage and although he was signalled to stop, the driver developed speed. He hit the police cars and fled to Nicosia.

A fierce chase followed, which reached the streets of the capital. The driver of the van at some point turned back to escape outside Nicosia. The police approached the vehicle and fired a number of shots at its tires, as a result of which one of them was hit. Despite this, the driver continued on his way, as a result of which the friction on the asphalt from the rim sent sparks. Eventually, it was stopped on the Nicosia - Limassol highway.

The two occupants were handcuffed, while the investigations are ongoing and the van is expected to be opened soon by members of the Customs in the presence of police officers and the suspects, in order to determine what they were carrying.

* * * * * *

Members of the Aliens and Immigration Service, in cooperation with the Deputy Ministry of Migration, proceeded yesterday to deport six Bangladeshi nationals, who had been spotted on 22/03/2026 wandering in vital points of the Republic of Cyprus and photographing specific facilities with their mobile phones.

The persons in question were arrested and after further examinations, it was decided to deport them to their country, for reasons of public interest.

* * * * * *

Another case with a stabbing is being investigated by the Police in Limassol, with the alleged perpetrator being a 27-year-old foreigner and a 34-year-old complainant, who, as she claims, is her estranged husband. Behind the case there seem to be threats and a complaint to the Aliens and Immigration Service.

The 27-year-old was arrested yesterday and today, Tuesday (31/3), she was brought before the Limassol District Court, which ordered her detention for a period of 7 days. She is being investigated for offenses related to conspiracy to commit a felony, injury, conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor, carrying a weapon to incite terror, carrying a knife, common assault and threat. Two more of her relatives are wanted for the same case.

The Police were informed about the incident by the Limassol General Hospital shortly after the 34-year-old had been transported by ambulance injured from the area of Trachoni to Limassol. As it was established, the 34-year-old had a wound to the left abdomen and after first aid was provided, he was discharged.

In his statement to the Police, he stated that on Saturday night, while he was walking on the main street of Trachoni, he was approached by a white car, which did not have license plates, and parked in front of him. According to the 34-year-old, the 27-year-old, whom he knows, got out of the driver's seat, followed by two other people. After they approached him, according to his complaint, they started shouting at him and threatening him, because he had filed a complaint against them with the Aliens and Immigration Service.

As the complainant claimed, the suspect threatened him, telling him that she would kill him, injuring him in the abdomen with a knife she was holding.

According to what the complainant claims, the three people who attacked him are related to each other and helped him for a fee to submit the necessary documents to secure a residence and work permit in Cyprus. He also stated that the cause of the attack was the complaint he made against them to the Aliens and Immigration Service regarding their residence status in Cyprus.

Arrest warrants were obtained against the three persons and the 27-year-old was arrested at noon on Monday. She, during the interrogation, gave various allegations which are being investigated. She claimed that she did not meet the 34-year-old, who is her husband, on that particular night, as they got married in their country and are now separated.

Two more persons are wanted in the case, while examinations are expected to be carried out to identify closed circuit surveillance.

* * * * * *

The Police's investigations regarding the new criminal act against the 40-year-old Russian businessman in Limassol are focused on closed surveillance circuits. This is the fourth attack against this Russian target in a few months.

As we mentioned in a previous publication, despite the fact that the 40-year-old has requested police protection, which is provided to him, his family and his property, this does not seem to deter the perpetrators. It seems that the instigators behind the attacks seek in every way to put pressure on the businessman on issues related to his protection.

In relation to today's case, from the study of the closed surveillance circuits, a person in black clothes and a covered head is recorded, riding a motorcycle and shooting at the property, then disappearing. From the examinations of the Criminal Investigation Service of the Police Headquarters, it was found that about 16 shots were fired at the property of the Russian businessman. 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.

According to CCTV footage, the perpetrator approached the premises and set fire to the entrance of the store. The third criminal act concerned the placement of an explosive object outside a fast food restaurant 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-powered improvised explosive at the entrance of the premises, which exploded, causing damage.

For this case, two persons, aged 19 and 21, who had been arrested in connection with the explosion of a bomb in a fast food restaurant, were referred to trial before the Criminal Court, which will meet on May 12. Yesterday, the Limassol District Court referred the two young men to trial, while ordering them to remain on trial until the start of the proceedings.

* * * * * *

In Nicosia, around 10.45 p.m., information was received about a fire in an abandoned building in Strovolos.

According to the Police, from preliminary examinations carried out, it was found that the fire started from useless objects, which seems to have been set maliciously.

The fire was extinguished by the Fire Brigade.

* * * * * *

An explosion in a car occurred in the early hours of the morning in Limassol.

According to the Police, the car is used by a 46-year-old man and was parked outside his house in the Agios Ioannis area.

Members of the Police went to the scene for examinations, while it was found that the explosion was due to the firing of a factory firecracker in combination with flammable material, which was placed in the front of the vehicle. Extensive damage has been caused to the front.

The TAE of Limassol is examining.

* * * * * *

Two minors, aged 15 and 17, were arrested yesterday afternoon by members of the Nicosia Police Department, in relation to four investigated cases, concerning, among other things, the offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony, burglary, theft and causing malicious damage, which were committed between the dates 29-31/03/2026 in the Nicosia district.

The four cases in question concern the burglary and theft of two stores and a restaurant, as well as attempted burglary and malicious damage to a supermarket. From the two shops and the restaurant, money and items in excess of €1.500 were stolen, while in all the premises in question, damage exceeding €800 was caused.

The two arrested are expected to appear today before the District Court of Nicosia, for the purpose of issuing their detention.

The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.

* * * * * *

The Larnaca District Court, in yesterday's decision, awarded an amount of €53,000 in compensation to owners of a property where an area of 806 sq.m. of their property was expropriated and the Department of Lands and Surveys had initially offered them the amount of €50 as compensation.

The expropriation took place on 5/12/2014 with the aim of creating an Industrial and Energy Area A' and a road network in Vasiliko in the Larnaca District. An area of 806 sq.m. was affected by the owners' agricultural plot and the Larnaca District Land Registry offered the owners of the property the amount of €50 as compensation for the expropriation of this part of their property.

This offer was not accepted by the owners of the property, who through the lawyer Mr. Michalis Deilinos appealed in 2016 to the Larnaca District Court for an increase in the amount of compensation.

After a hearing of the case, the Larnaca District Court yesterday accepted the positions of the private real estate appraiser Dr. Giorgos Georgiadis both regarding the value of the part of the property that was expropriated and the fact that the remaining part of the property of 21,599 sq.m. that was left out of the expropriation did not acquire any surplus value.

"The reliability, accuracy and reasonableness of his conclusions were not shaken at any point," the Court ruled. He also decided that the approach of the Land Registry appraiser raises many questions as to its correctness.

The Court also stated that "it was clarified for the first time through the testimony of Mr. Georgiadis that the road network never passed through the disputed expropriated area. On the contrary, the road was built to pass through a different point further into the disputed property, following a new design and a new expropriation that took place on 21/9/2018. However, the witness of the Land Registry misleadingly suggests that the new road, of which he even presents photographs, passed through the disputed expropriated area. At no point in his report is there any mention that the design of the road, even after the essential time, was changed, as a result of which it was not carried out at the point where it was planned."

* * * * * *

Four persons, aged 16, 24, 25 and 30, were arrested yesterday by members of the Paphos Police Department, in relation to investigated cases concerning, among other things, the offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony/misdemeanor, burglary, illegal entry and theft.

Specifically, in the context of an investigated case of burglary and theft from a residence, which was reported on March 29, 2026 to the Paphos Police Department, members of the Paphos Police Department searched a house in Paphos yesterday, on the basis of a court warrant.

There were four people in this house, aged 16, 24, 25 and 30. In the possession of the 25-year-old, a crystal substance similar to methamphetamine weighing 0,2 grams was found, as well as burglary tools and other objects, for which he did not give sufficient explanations as to the legality of their possession, as a result of which he was arrested for flagrant offenses.

In a subsequent search inside the house, a large number of household appliances (lamps, kitchen hob, deodorant, television, video camera, etc.) were found, for which the above persons did not give sufficient explanations and were arrested for the self-inflicted crime of illegal possession of property.

It should be noted that some of the items found were found to be property stolen from an apartment building under construction between 28-30/03/2026 and from a house on 29/03/2026, in Paphos.

The four above persons were re-arrested by virtue of court arrest warrants and were brought before the Paphos District Court today, which issued a detention order for them for a period of five days.

The Paphos TAE continues the examinations.

* * * * * *

The staff of the parliamentary candidate, Eugene Haboullas, was attacked by unknown persons in Limassol. According to information, unknown persons threw stones and broke the glass window of the staff of the ELAM candidate.

The incident took place in the early hours of the morning and the Police were informed this morning. The staff is located near the roundabout of Agios Nikolaos.

The Police are investigating causing malicious damage.

After the incident, Evgenios Hamboullas stated that "I express my regret for the attack and the damage caused to our election staff by unknown persons. Such actions have no place in a democratic society and are not in line with the political culture that we must all serve, especially in a pre-election period. Political confrontation must be done with arguments, respect and sobriety, not with actions that poison the public climate. I appeal to preserve mutual respect and seriousness. The country does not need extreme attitudes, but democratic ethos and political maturity. We continue with composure, determination and responsibility, next to the citizens. No thug and no night walker is going to silence me or ELAM."

Condemns ELAM

"We condemn the vandalism of the staff of our candidate, Eugene Hamboullas in Limassol.

Such actions have no place in a democratic society. Disagreement and political confrontation must be expressed with respect and arguments, not with acts of violence.

We call on the competent authorities to immediately investigate the incident and bring those responsible to justice."