Filenews 8 April 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, seven (7) persons were arrested, for offenses such as carrying a knife, fine warrants, driving under the influence of alcohol, failure to appear in court, illegal stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, etc.
As part of these operations, during the night, 783 drivers and passengers were stopped and checked.
At the same time, 32 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency.
During traffic checks carried out, 412 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while 8 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 122 complaints from drivers for exceeding the speed limit, 39 for not using a seat belt, 34 for not free hands while driving (mobile) and 33 without a traffic license stand out.
As part of the police examinations, 7 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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With the aim of combating the phenomenon of lamps and preventing dangerous actions, the Limassol Police Department continues to carry out daily checks in various areas of the city and the province. A special team of 12 members is proceeding with intensive checks to prevent the phenomenon, as well as to identify and remove timber and other dangerous objects used by young offenders for the custom of lampratzia. At the same time, checks are also carried out on young people.
According to information from the Police, only today, Holy Tuesday, during a wide operation carried out, more than 12 trucks full of timber and other objects that had been collected by young people in various areas of the city were located and removed. These objects, which were intended for lighting the lamps, were transported in cooperation with the local authorities, in order to prevent dangerous situations.
Specifically, piles of timber were found in a field in the area of Agios Athanasios, which were loaded onto three trucks. Also, near the church of Agia Varvara in Zakaki, large quantities of timber intended for lighting the lamps were found. To move these items, they had to be loaded onto nine trucks and four single-cabin vehicles.
Intensive checks and patrols in all provinces of Cyprus are expected to continue throughout Holy Week and Resurrection Saturday. The aim is to prevent the use of firecrackers, the lighting of lamps and juvenile delinquency, phenomena that are observed every year at Easter.
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With intensified patrols and controls in all provinces, the actions of the Police continued yesterday, as well as during the night, to prevent the use of firecrackers, the lighting of lamps and phenomena of juvenile delinquency.
As part of these actions, Police patrols responded to various incidents of lighting fires and the use of firecrackers, while in various areas timber intended for lighting lamps was located and received.
During the checks in areas where people gather for lighting lamps and using firecrackers, a number of young people were checked, while in various incidents of lighting fires in open spaces, to which the members of the Police responded, members of the Fire Service were also called, to extinguish the fires.
In the province of Paphos, around 7.00 pm, members of the Police located a fire outbreak, while at the scene they found a 13 year-old minor, along with other young people, who fled. A knife was found in the possession of the 13-year-old. A guardian of the minor was called, who picked him up.
Also in the province of Paphos, around 8.30 pm, members of the Police located a fire outbreak, while a 17-year-old minor, as well as a 23-year-old man, were found at the scene. The 23-year-old was arrested for pending court fine warrants.
The Police continues with an increased presence and targeted actions in all provinces, with the aim of preventing dangerous behaviours and enhancing the safety of citizens, while calling on the public to show responsibility and cooperate with the competent authorities.
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The Police arrested a 41-year-old man related to a radiology center operating in the free province of Famagusta in connection with the explosion of a bomb in the house of a 49-year-old businessman who lives in Deryneia.
According to information from Filenews, the suspect allegedly threatened the businessman, who has a radiology center in another province and intended to expand his activities.
After evaluating the testimony, the Famagusta Police Department proceeded to arrest the 41-year-old, who was brought before the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni, which ordered his detention for a period of 4 days.
The perpetrators placed the explosive device near the garage of the 49-year-old's house, which exploded around 1:30 in the early hours of Thursday. The explosion caused damage to the garage door, while no person was injured.
The scene was cordoned off and pyrotechnicians from the Police Headquarters rushed to the scene, who found that the perpetrators had placed an explosive device consisting of a high-powered explosive.
Various items were received from the scene and sent for scientific examinations.
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The attempt of the Pancyprian Organization of Cattle Breeders to overturn the fines imposed on it in 2014 and reaching a total of €1.7 million fell on deaf ears. The Supreme Constitutional Court rejected the POA's appeal against the PSC's decision in its entirety, sealing the four administrative fines imposed on it. The fines concerned:
(a) Violation of Article 3(1)(a) of the Protection of Competition Law, Law 13(I)/20081 (the Law) regarding the practice of concluding contracts for the exclusive distribution of raw cow's milk with the cow farmers who are members of the Appellants, which include specific standard terms for determining the purchase prices of raw cow's milk. An administrative fine of €600,000 was imposed.
(b) Violation of Article 3(1)(b) of the Law, regarding the practice of concluding contracts as above, which include the imposition of exclusivity and non-compete clauses. An administrative fine of €600,000 was imposed. 1 It is noted that Law 13(I)/2008 has now been repealed and replaced by Law 13(I)/2022.
(c) Violation of Article 3(1)(b) of the Law regarding the practice of the Normal Milk Production (GMP) measure. A fine of €100,000 was imposed.
(d) Violation of Article 6(1)(a) of the Law regarding the setting and/or imposition of excessive and unfair prices (the dominant company). A fine of €800,000 was imposed.
The Organization strongly raised the issue of bias of the then president of the Competition Commission. According to the Constitution, there is no doubt that the impartiality of the Administrative Body is of fundamental importance and this was emphatically stated by our case law even before the enactment of the General Principles of Administrative Law Law, Law 158(I)/1999 and in particular Article 42. However, he rejected the issue of prejudice, referring to two articles in "fileleftheros".
The Constitutional Court rejected the position that there was insufficient justification for the decision of the Court of First Instance, citing an excerpt of the contested decision cited, because the alleged acts constituted a violation of competition. It also observes that the POA applied the term (25(c)(i) "in its most extreme form, by deciding to include conditions in the contracts in question under which its member cow farmers will deliver the entire production of raw cow's milk only to the POA, thus completely restricting competition in a market that is already limited from the outset by production quotas. It is also noted that in relation to the content of the above clause 25(c)(iv), the POA also included this clause in the exclusive distribution contracts, providing for exhaustive penalties for its member cattle breeders, as has been shown by the investigation."
The Constitution drew a parallel between the case in France, where the French Competition Authority found that the respondents had implemented a complex and continuous cartel in relation to the price of those radishes on the market for antive radishes through various mechanisms. It also considered that the agreements at issue should not be regarded as necessary for the attainment of the objectives of the common agricultural policy.
After rejecting all the grounds, the appeal had no hope of success, with the Court putting an end to a long legal dispute.
