Monday, July 6, 2026

CRIME ROUND UP

Filenews 6 July 2026



Despite the fact that some from the pseudo-state tried to give another dimension to the critical injury of a Turkish Cypriot in Ayia Napa in the early hours of Sunday, everything indicates that it was a fight between the 47-year-old and a group of three young men with Swedish passports.

After evaluating information and analyzing material from closed surveillance circuits, the investigators of the Famagusta Police Department proceeded in the early hours of the morning to arrest three 18-year-olds originally from Albania, Chile and Iraq. These are tourists who would leave Cyprus this afternoon. The three arrested will be brought before the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni at 12 p.m. for the issuance of detention orders.

According to information from police sources, the 47-year-old was with a friend in the area. At some point around 5 in the morning on Sunday they separated and for reasons that are being investigated, the injured man started arguing with the tourists, who beat him, as a result of which he fell and hit his head on the ground. It is noted that the examinations, so far, show that the victim did not know the arrested.

It is recalled that members of the police around 6 a.m. yesterday, after relevant information, they found the 47-year-old Turkish Cypriot injured, on Agia Mavris Street. The injured man was taken to the General Hospital of Famagusta, where he was found to have a cerebral haemorrhage and a fracture of the base of the skull. Due to the seriousness of his condition, he was intubated and taken to Nicosia General Hospital, where he was detained for treatment. His health condition is judged by the treating doctors to be serious, but stable. From the police examinations, testimony was obtained, according to which the 47-year-old was allegedly attacked by a group of unknown persons, resulting in his injury.

The issue is covered extensively in the Turkish Cypriot press, while Tufan Erhurman, through a statement, had called for a full investigation into the incident. "As soon as we were informed of the incident, the "Presidency", the Turkish Cypriot member of the Bicommunal Technical Committee, the victim's family, as well as the competent authorities in the north and south contacted them, while the "General Directorate of Police" proceeded with the necessary actions. We are closely monitoring both the health condition of our fellow citizen and the legal process related to the incident. We will continue to keep the public informed as there are new developments. I wish a speedy recovery to our injured fellow citizen and express my wishes for a speedy recovery to his family," he noted.

More incendiary are the statements of the so-called Prime Minister Unal Üstel. "If there is ethnic hatred or hostility towards Turkish Cypriot identity behind the attack, then it cannot be considered a simple individual crime. Such a case would constitute a serious hate crime directed against social peace, the will for coexistence and humanitarian values," he said, noting that "the Turkish Cypriot people are not unprotected. We will not allow any attack against Turkish Cypriots to be treated as commonplace. Any action that threatens the security of our citizens will be confronted by the state and we will follow with determination so that those responsible are held accountable and justice is served."


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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, six persons were arrested, for various offenses, including illegal stay on the territory of the Republic of Cyprus and assault causing grievous bodily harm. During the night, 564 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 697 drivers and passengers were checked. At the same time, 46 inspections of premises were carried out, from which 15 complaints emerged.

During traffic checks carried out, 370 complaints were made about various traffic violations, of which 143 concern driving at excessive speed. A total of 108 alcohol tests were carried out during which 5 drivers were found positive. 1 drug test with a negative indication was also performed. Also, as part of the police examinations, 12 vehicles were detained.

Policing operations, for the prevention and suppression of crime, continue every day, with an enhanced police presence, targeted controls and immediate operational action, in order to protect citizens and ensure public order.

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On 4/7/2026, officials of the Customs Department at Paphos Airport, after evaluating information, identified 2 passengers with British citizenship aged 25 and 24 respectively and 2 passengers with Danish citizenship 23 and 22 years old respectively, before their departure to London, United Kingdom, with their luggage containing large quantities of tobacco products, The packaging of which did not bear the marking for the harmful effects of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, nor the safety feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.

Specifically, the following were found in the passengers' luggage:

  • -In the luggage of the first passenger, 39 boxes of 200 cigarettes each, 8 packs of 20 cigarettes each and 5 packs of tobacco for a rolled cigarette of 50 grams each (total 250 grams) were found.
  • -In the luggage of the second passenger, 45 boxes of 200 cigarettes each and 60 packages of tobacco for a rolled cigarette of 50 grams each (a total of 3 kg) were found.
  • -In the luggage of the third passenger, 64 boxes of 200 cigarettes each and 55 packs of roll-your-own tobacco of 50 grams each (a total of 2 kg and 750 grams) were found.
  • -In the luggage of the fourth passenger, 53 boxes of 200 cigarettes each and 75 packages of tobacco for a rolled cigarette of 50 grams each were found (a total of 3 kilograms and 750 grams).

The 4 passengers were arrested for flagrante delicto, while the luggage and its contents were confiscated. They were later released after their proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the cases was accepted with the payment of amounts of €2,500, €3,900, €4,000 and €4,000 respectively. A total of €13,400 was collected, while the confiscated tobacco will follow the prescribed destruction procedure.

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A case of robbery with a 20-year-old victim is being investigated by the Police in Limassol.

According to what the 20-year-old complained to the Police, around 3 a.m. today, while he was walking on a street in Limassol, he was approached by a motorcycle on which three people were riding. Two of them allegedly attacked him, beat him with their hands and snatched his backpack in his possession. The perpetrators then allegedly fled.

According to the complainant, inside the bag were his mobile phone and the amount of €50.The Limassol Police Department is investigating the case.

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Members of the Police arrested a 23-year-old man in the early hours of the morning, in Ayia Napa, for the self-inflicted crime of illegal possession of a controlled drug (laughing gas) for the purpose of supplying to another person.

Specifically, around 2 a.m., on Sunday morning,  members of MMAD stopped a car moving on a road in Ayia Napa for a check. The driver was the 23-year-old, while a search carried out inside the vehicle found and confiscated 20 vials of nitrous oxide (laughing gas), eight balloons and an inhaler.

The case is being examined by the Ayia Napa Police Station.

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Around 1 a.m. Sunday morning, members of the Police, who were carrying out checks in the Ayia Napa area, signaled to a car to stop for a check. The driver of the vehicle, in his attempt to escape control, drove in reverse developing high speed, as a result of which he hit a police officer and then collided with another parked vehicle and was immobilized.

As it turned out, the driver of the vehicle was 23 years old. In an alcohol test he underwent, he was found positive, with a lower final reading of 75% instead of 9%. As a result, he was arrested and taken into custody.

The member of the Police was transported by ambulance to the General Hospital of Famagusta where he was given first aid and was discharged.

The Ayia Napa Police Station continues the examinations.

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Today around 9 in the morning, information was received at the Larnaca Police Department about an attempted robbery in a goldsmith's shop in Larnaca, specifically in the area of Drosia.

According to the complaint, an unknown person who was wearing a black long-sleeved shirt and a food delivery company vest and wearing a black motorcycle helmet with full face coverage, entered a goldsmith's shop pointing a pistol at the 73-year-old owner.

The owner reacted, as a result of which he hit him on the head with the pistol, causing him an injury, however the owner managed to push him out of the store.

The perpetrator fled in a vehicle that was waiting for him outside the store, which from the examinations so far seems to be driven by another unknown person, possibly a foreigner.

Examinations were carried out at the scene, while the victim was taken to the hospital where his wound was sutured and is expected to be released.

The case is being investigated by the Larnaca Police Department.

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On 5/7/2026, Limassol Customs officials were informed by members of YKAN that after a search of the house of a 52-year-old Syrian in Limassol, they found a quantity of tobacco products inside the house that at first glance appeared to be duty-free.

Specifically, in the suspect's house, the following were found:

  • 9 boxes of 200 cigarettes each and 6 packs of 20 cigarettes each
  • 2 packs of hookah tobacco of 250 grams each (total 500 grams)
  • 3 packs of roll-your-own tobacco of 50 grams each (total 250 grams).
The officials of the Customs Department, after inspecting the above quantities, found that they did not bear the marking for the harmfulness of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, nor the safety feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.

The suspect was arrested for flagrante delicto offenses and the tobacco products were confiscated. He was later released after his proposal for an out-of-court settlement of the case with the payment of €1,000 was accepted. The confiscated tobacco products will follow the prescribed destruction procedure.
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The Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca on Monday rejected as premature the application of the 48-year-old accused to dismiss the torture case in Pyla due to abuse of procedure. The case has been set for July 30, when the two defendants will be called to answer the serious charges they face.

The two defendants, a 48-year-old and a 27-year-old, appeared today before the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca, under draconian security measures.

In his application, which was rejected by the Court, the defense had stated that two separate cases had been registered against the accused, one concerning the incidents outside the Larnaca ADE and one concerning the torture in a premises in Pyla, while in its opinion they should be included in a joint indictment.

Today his application was rejected by the Permanent Criminal Court of Larnaca as premature since, as mentioned, the current data cannot undoubtedly support his position on abuse.

The case was set for July 30 for the two defendants to respond to the charges.

The first defendant faces charges relating to, subjecting a person to torture, deprivation of liberty, with the intention of endangering serious harm, causing grievous bodily harm, assaults causing actual bodily harm, claiming property with threats.

The second defendant, 27 years old, faces charges of deprivation of liberty, subjecting a person to torture and assault.

The number of victims is six. These are three Cypriots, one of whom is outside Cyprus. Indian who is outside Cyprus, Arab who is in Cyprus. The sixth victim appears to be a European citizen and efforts are being made to identify him.

TAE Larnaca continues the exams.