Pafos Live 20 June 2026
Members of the TAE Limassol proceeded to arrest a 40-year-old man this morning, regarding a case concerning the offenses, acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, carrying a knife, etc., which was committed shortly after midnight in Limassol.
Specifically, thirty minutes after midnight today, information was received to the Police about the transfer of an injured person to the Limassol General Hospital. From subsequent examinations, it was found that it was a 45-year-old man, who had a shoulder injury, possibly from a sharp object, and his condition is considered serious.
From the examinations so far, it seems that during the night, the 45-year-old received a phone call from the 40-year-old to go to his home and resolve their personal differences. After the 45-year-old went with two more relatives to the 40-year-old's house, the latter attacked the 45-year-old with the use of spray and a knife, resulting in his serious injury.
The 45-year-old was taken to the Limassol General Hospital, where he underwent surgery and is being treated in the Surgery Department in serious condition, while as for the 40-year-old, he was arrested in the morning hours. It should be noted that before the arrest of the 40-year-old, he had been taken to a private hospital for a head injury, where after receiving medical treatment, he was discharged.
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A quantity of opiate drugs with a total gross weight of two kilograms and 100 grams was found yesterday in Limassol, following a relevant operation by YKAN.
Specifically, in the context of collecting and evaluating data, members of YKAN identified a specific 23-year-old person, who was moving on foot yesterday afternoon on a street in Limassol.
In a search carried out in the bag in his possession, two nylon packages were found which contained a number of dried poppy pods of the Mykonos or Sleeping plant, with a total gross weight of 418 grams. The 23-year-old was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
A search followed at the residence of the 23-year-old arrested in Limassol, where a second 21-year-old person was found inside. During the investigation, a cardboard box was found, in which there were eight nylon packages containing a number of dried poppy pods of the Mykonos or Sleeping plant, with a total gross weight of one kilogram and 682 grams, resulting in the arrest of the 21-year-old for a flagrante delicto. Various other objects were also found inside the house which were received and kept as evidence.
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Filenews
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, three persons were arrested, for various offenses, among others, illegal stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and illegal employment. During the night, 895 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 1,125 drivers and passengers were checked. At the same time, 71 inspections of premises were carried out, from which 16 complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 309 complaints were made about various traffic violations, of which 80 concern driving at excessive speed. A total of 466 alcohol tests were carried out during which 33 drivers were found positive. Four drug tests were also carried out with three positive indications. Also, as part of the police examinations, 22 vehicles were detained.
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The saloon car as well as the hooded men who tried to enter a bank branch in Kiti early on Friday afternoon (15/6) are being sought by the Police, with the investigators of the case having under their microscope material from closed surveillance circuits.
Their movements alerted the Larnaca Police, who received a call around 2 o'clock from the bank's employees, who reported that there were suspicious movements by hooded men, who may have wanted to rob the bank. They complained that they saw two hooded men getting out of a saloon vehicle and holding sports bags. The two strangers then headed to the entrance of the bank, which did not open due to the controlled system. When they realized that they would not be able to enter the branch, the suspects boarded the saloon vehicle and disappeared from the area.
The scene was cordoned off, and examinations were carried out to identify evidence that may lead to the would-be perpetrators.
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A large quantity of opiate drugs was seized as part of a YKAN operation in cooperation with the Customs Department. To facilitate the investigations, a 35-year-old and a 31-year-old woman were arrested. It is the first time that such drugs have been imported in such quantities in Cyprus.
A total of 52 packages containing dried poppy stems of the species Papaver Somniferum, with a total gross weight of more than 10 kg, were located and confiscated.
The first quantity of drugs was found after a joint operation by YKAN and the Customs Department, at Larnaca airport, where in a package that arrived in Cyprus from a foreign country, which contained 30 packages of poppy stalks, with a total gross weight of 6 kilograms and 300 grams.
The above quantity was confiscated, while from the continuation of the examinations it appeared that the recipient of the package was a 35-year-old. This morning, as part of a YKAN operation, the 35-year-old was located and arrested, by virtue of a court warrant. His arrest was followed by a search of his home, in the province of Nicosia, where another 22 packages, with poppy stems, with a total gross weight of 4 kg, as well as a quantity of unknown plant matter, with a gross weight of 60 grams, were located and confiscated. Inside the house, processing equipment for the drug in question was also located and confiscated.
The 31-year-old wife of the arrested man was also located at the 35-year-old's house, who was arrested for a flagrante delicto and taken into custody to facilitate investigations.
This is the first time that a large quantity of this type of drug has been imported into Cyprus. The Papaver Somniferum, after relevant processing, contains significant amounts of natural opiate substances, with the main psychoactive/narcotic substances being morphine and codeine. Their consumption can cause symptoms of severe poisoning such as:
• Very slow or superficial breathing
• Inability to wake up
• Loss of consciousness
• Respiratory arrest.
YKAN continues the examinations.
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A 44-year-old businessman from Larnaca, a 42-year-old businessman from Nicosia, a 49-year-old defendant and a 45-year-old woman, who allegedly extorted tens of thousands of euros from a 77-year-old man, were referred to a direct trial before the Permanent Larnaca Criminal Court that will meet on August 3.
The defendants face serious charges concerning, among other things, money laundering, participation in a criminal organization, conspiracy to commit a felony, extortion, threat of violence and deprivation of liberty and unjust restriction
In addition to the defendant, who is in the Central Prison for two very serious cases (torture of citizens and shootings of January 17), the Prosecuting Authority requested that the 44-year-old businessman from Larnaca, who is also accused in another case in relation to the alleged influence of the complainant in the shootings in the center of Larnaca, remain in custody, last January. His lawyer, Antonis Demetriou, objected to his detention, speaking of "scandalous and unequal treatment by the Legal Service and the Police", between the accused, since two of them, namely the 42-year-old businessman from Nicosia and the 45-year-old, were released, on parole.
He previously submitted a request for the judge to be excluded from the proceedings, due to the fact that he was the one who examined the request for the detention of the accused. The request, however, was rejected by the court. It is recalled that the 49-year-old brother of the businessman, as well as a 51-year-old man, will be in the dock, since they allegedly tried to influence the 77-year-old to change his testimony. The proceedings were long and were set for speeches on Monday at 10:00 a.m., with two of the defendants remaining in custody
It is noted that the 45-year-old was released after signing a bail of €150.000 with a creditable guarantor, handing over her travel documents, and will sign twice a week at a police station. The 42-year-old was released after signing a €110.000 bail with a creditable guarantor and giving €70.000, handing over his travel documents, and will sign twice a week at a police station.
It is recalled that the defendants were arrested after the 77-year-old complained that on various dates between 2021 and 2024 they extorted large sums of money from him. According to the pensioner's complaint, it all started when, together with his son-in-law, they sold two properties in Pyla worth €3 million in a company, whose director is the 42-year-old businessman from Nicosia, who worked in the past for naturalization cases. A little later, the 44-year-old businessman from Larnaca, who is a defendant in a case of alleged influence on a witness for the incidents of January 17, is said to have been involved in the case. According to the pensioner, the 44-year-old, together with the 49-year-old indictment, among other things, persuaded him to become their partner in a betting agency and in this way extorted a total of €49.000 from him.
The indictment, who is accused of shooting in the center of Larnaca, as well as torturing people in an illegal casino in Pyla, alleges, meanwhile, allegedly collaborated with the 45-year-old and extorted over €150.000 from the pensioner. The woman allegedly pretended to be in love with the 77-year-old and the 49-year-old pressured him to give her money. As far as the businessman from Nicosia is concerned, he allegedly pressured the complainant, with the help of the others, to change the agreement for the sale of the properties.
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The Police arrested three persons, as part of an operation, which took place yesterday in the province of Famagusta, with the participation of members of ADE Famagusta, YKAN, YAM and MMAD Headquarters.
The operation was carried out from last night until half an hour after midnight today and during it a number of cars and motorcycles were stopped for inspection, during which 12 complaints of various traffic violations emerged.
As part of the operation, inspections were carried out in three nightclubs and an equal number of complaints emerged for violation of the terms of their operating license.
In one of the three premises, two persons were located and arrested for the self-inflicted crime of illegal employment.
The members of the Police also proceeded to arrest a young man for illegal possession and use of drugs.
Four security guards were also checked without anything reprehensible coming up.
The examinations continue.
