Filenews 22 May 2026
A traffic accident occurred at midnight on the Limassol - Nicosia highway, when a driver ignored a police signal for a check.
According to information from the Police, shortly before 12.00 midnight yesterday, members of the Police who were on patrol on the Limassol-Nicosia highway, in the area of the Germasogeia roundabout, signalled to a car driver to stop for a check, since he was driving while holding a mobile phone.
The driver failed to stop for a check and continued on his way and arriving at the next roundabout, he drove his vehicle against the traffic stream. Arriving at the next roundabout, the driver lost control of his vehicle, which passed over the roundabout, where he crashed into a metal sign and continuing his course, crossed over a sidewalk and crashed into the fence of a house, where he stopped at the scene, having overturned sideways.
The 19-year-old driver was freed from the vehicle with the help of members of the Fire Service. The passenger in the vehicle was a 17-year-old.
The 19-year-old and 17-year-old were taken by ambulance to a hospital, where the 17-year-old received first aid and was discharged, while the 19-year-old was detained for treatment. His health condition is out of danger.
The 19-year-old was found positive in a preliminary test for driving under the influence of drugs.
The Limassol Traffic Police is investigating a case of reckless and dangerous driving, failure to comply with a police signal, driving under the influence of drugs, and road collision.
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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, eleven persons were arrested for various offenses, such as, among others, assault, theft, causing damage to property, illegal stay on the territory of the Republic, driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as court fine warrants.
As part of these operations, during the night, 406 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 521 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 30 inspections of premises were carried out, with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, from which two complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 194 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while six investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged. As part of the police examinations, three vehicles were detained.
Of the complaints made about traffic violations, the 94 complaints for exceeding the speed limit stand out. Also, three drivers were reported for driving under the influence of alcohol, while five cases of driving under the influence of drugs emerged, after positive preliminary drug tests. For driving under the influence of alcohol, 76 checks were carried out on vehicle drivers, while for driving under the influence of drugs, 12 checks were carried out on drivers.
Policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue daily, with an enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, with the aim of protecting citizens and ensuring public order.
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The Police arrested a 35-year-old man, as part of the investigation of a case of attempted arson.
The 35-year-old was located and arrested yesterday by members of the Limassol Police Department, based on an arrest warrant.
The case concerns an attempted arson on a parked vehicle, which occurred on 11/04/2026 in Limassol.
The 35-year-old appeared today before the Limassol District Court, where a detention order was issued against him for a period of five days
The Limassol Police Department is investigating the case.
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The Police proceeded to locate and confiscate a quantity of cannabis of about 3 kilograms, as a result of which two persons were arrested in Limassol.
As part of the actions of the Anti-Narcotics Service (YKAN) to detect and seize narcotic substances, two persons were arrested yesterday in Limassol.
These are men aged 25 and 26, residents of Limassol, while during the operation, a quantity of cannabis weighing about 2 kilograms and 805 grams was located and confiscated.
The operation was carried out after evaluating information, according to which the two persons allegedly hid quantities of drugs in various places. According to the data under examination, yesterday the 25-year-old was seen by members of YKAN leaving, on two different occasions in open spaces in the province of Limassol, two nylon bags. From subsequent tests, it was found that they contained a quantity of cannabis with a total weight of about two kilograms and 130 grams.Subsequently, the 25-year-old's vehicle was stopped by members of YKAN and in a search carried out inside the car, a quantity of cannabis weighing about 29 grams was found, as a result of which he was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
Then, in two places in an open area near the 26-year-old's house, two nylon bags containing a quantity of cannabis weighing about 168 grams were found.
A search of the 26-year-old's home followed, where nine nylon bags were found hidden in the yard and in a warehouse, which contained a quantity of cannabis weighing about 478 grams, resulting in his arrest for a flagrante delicto.
YKAN (Limassol Unit) continues the examinations.
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Antonis Spetsiotis, aged 77, was killed by a gunshot wound by a Xylofagou, who was found charred in Liopetri on May 11.
As reported by the British Bases, the cause of death was a gunshot wound and the circumstances that led to this tragic incident continue to be investigated.
According to information from filenews from the British Bases, all possibilities for the case remain open, pending specialized examinations on some evidence.
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Concurrent prison sentences, with the longest being 5 years, were imposed today, Friday, by the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court on the 35-year-old accused, who presented himself as an "investor" who wanted to become president of the Paralimni Youth Union football team and deceived a former football player, a female lawyer from Limassol, as well as four other persons.
The Criminal Court sentenced him to concurrent prison sentences of 21 months for the charges of forgery and circulation of a forged document, 3 years for the charge of extracting property by false representations and 5 years for money laundering.
As noted in the decision, the scope of the 35-year-old's criminal activity arises from September 2023 to February 2025, with the total amount he extracted reaching €173.075 from six persons.
It is recalled that the 35-year-old defendant, in order to convince his victims to give him money, claimed that he had shares in his uncle's company in Africa and that he would receive an inheritance of €16,5 million, telling them that part of the money would be invested in ENP.
According to the announcement of the Criminal Court, the accused was found guilty after admitting four counts of forgery, corresponding charges of circulation of a forged document, one category of securing goods with false representations and one category of money laundering.
According to the facts, the accused, between 1.1.2024 and 31.12.2024, with the intention of defrauding, prepared false documents, which he put into circulation by presenting them to third parties and, with false representations, extorted the sum of €20.500 in cash and €87.325 in bank transfers, i.e. a total of €107.825.
He obtained this amount by receiving various sums of money from the complainant on more than five occasions, after previously claiming that he needed money to settle financial obligations and disputes with other persons, and that his uncle from Africa would transfer millions of euros to him.
In the context of imposing a sentence, the cases no. 4004/2024 and 3633/2025 of the Limassol District Court.
In case 4004/2024, the defendant admitted four counts of securing goods by false representations, two counts of money laundering and one count of forgery and circulation of a forged document.
According to the facts, between September 2023 and January 2024, he secured a total of €46.500 from various persons, falsely presenting that he would invest in a football team and that he had a bank account abroad with a balance of more than €16.000.000, as well as that he was waiting for approval of a business loan.
In addition, he agreed to buy a vehicle worth €9,500, paying only €4,000 without completing the transaction or transfer, and then advertised its sale. With false representations, he extorted an additional €4,250 from a third party, as a price for the sale of the vehicle, promising that he would send the transfer documents, which he never did.
In case 3633/2025, the defendant admitted charges of forgery of an official document, circulation of an official document, securing goods with false representations and fraudulent transactions in real estate owned by another. The offenses were committed in February 2025, when the accused drew up a forged official document, in which a specific person presented himself as the administrator of the deceased's estate, and after putting it into circulation, he extorted €10.000 as an advance payment for the purchase of a property, knowing that the information was false.
The Criminal Court found that the accused acted with pre-planning and took advantage of the friendly relationship he had established with the complainant, extorting a total of €107,825, with promises to return the money, which he did not keep.
The Court pointed out that the complainant's deception was not an isolated incident, as it was preceded and followed by related cases, which were taken into account. He also highlighted the scope of the accused's criminal activity, which extends from September 2023 to February 2025, as well as the total amount of €173.075 he extorted from six persons.
Based on the above, the Criminal Court ruled that there was a need for a strict treatment of the accused.
The decision underlined the seriousness of the offences and the need to impose a dissuasive penalty due to the outbreak of similar fraud cases. At the same time, the Court took into account the personal and family circumstances of the accused, his admission, remorse and his clean criminal record.
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The 45-year-old special constable and the couple from Greece, who are related to an investigation into organized crime, were brought before the District Court today, Friday.
The cases, as filenews wrote, are part of a coordinated operation by the Police and the newly established Sub-Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (the so-called "Cypriot FBI") to dismantle a criminal network with international connections and financial activity in Cyprus.
Referral to trial of the 45-year-old special constable
The first case concerned the 45-year-old special constable, who was arrested last week and is suspended after his arrest as part of the operation to prevent and combat organized crime. The 45-year-old was brought before the Nicosia District Court last Friday, where an eight-day detention order was issued.
Today, the investigators of the case took him to the Limassol Court in a separate procedure from that of the couple (49-year-old and 50-year-old), where they registered the case and requested that it be referred to trial before a Criminal Court, a request which was accepted.
The Court referred the case to a direct trial before the Limassol Permanent Criminal Court, which will meet on June 25. The Prosecution requested that restrictive conditions be set to ensure the presence of the accused.
His lawyer objected to the terms, mainly regarding the delivery of travel documents and the obligation to be regularly present for signature at a police station. The court adjourned to decide on the defense's request.
The couple's case
As for the couple, they were taken to another room, with the investigators requesting that the process be carried out behind closed doors, for security reasons. The investigation of the Sub-Directorate for Combating Organized Crime is considered of key importance, as it opened the cycle of arrests against the background of the action of a criminal organization in Cyprus.
The Court referred the case to the Criminal Court and set a hearing for June 30.
The two defendants face the offenses of conspiracy to commit a felony, participation in a criminal organization, money laundering, tax offenses and illegal possession of property.
In order to ensure their presence before the Criminal Court, restrictive conditions were set, including the delivery of travel documents, registration on the stop list, daily presence at a police station for signature and the provision of a creditable guarantor.
According to the data of the investigation, the couple from Limassol is said to be an important link of the criminal organization with tentacles in Cyprus.
According to the Police investigation, the 50-year-old accused allegedly received large sums of money from associates of a wanted person. Part of the money was sent through money transfer applications, while other amounts were transferred personally to Dubai or to partners in Greece.
The 50-year-old is a cousin of the wanted person who lives in Dubai. In her home, photos of herself, members of her family, as well as the wanted man were found.
Both defendants allegedly received sums of money and deposited them in third-party accounts, while maintaining communication with organized crime individuals through telephone devices and applications. In some cases, the accused allegedly made cash deposits through automatic cash registers in Limassol.
The examinations show that the couple's lifestyle is not in line with their declared financial data, as property is found that does not seem to be justified by their income and bank account movements.
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Five people responded today before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca to the charges they face in relation to the incidents of January 17 in Larnaca. The accused are a 20-year-old man, two 26-year-olds, a 32-year-old and a 48-year-old.
The four are recognized political refugees from Jordan and Palestine, while the 48-year-old holds Cypriot citizenship. Three more people aged 26, 27 and 35 are wanted in the case.
The five people face various charges such as conspiracy to commit a felony, illegal possession and transportation of a firearm, illegal possession of explosives, extortion, demand of property with threats, participation in a criminal organization, assault causing actual bodily harm.
The next hearing was set for July 6.
Two of those arrested, the 48-year-old and the 26-year-old, face additional charges for beating a 39-year-old European citizen in Pyla at 4 am on January 17. A 27-year-old man is wanted for the case, the same person who is wanted for the incidents in the center of Larnaca.
In addition, the two defendants, 48 and 26 years old, face additional charges related to causing grievous bodily harm, causing actual bodily harm, threatening and carrying knives.
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Members of the Larnaca Cycling Police responded yesterday to an incident of wallet theft by an elderly woman, which took place in a church in Larnaca.
Members of the Police immediately rushed to the scene and after evaluating witness material, as well as patrolling the area, they identified two women who were allegedly involved in the case.
These are women aged 45 and 48, in whose possession sums of money amounting to €430 and €625 respectively were found.
Subsequently, arrest warrants were obtained, under which the two suspects were arrested for the purpose of facilitating investigations.
The Larnaca Minor Offenses Department continues the examinations.
