Pafos Live 19 September 2026
Shots were fired on Wednesday night at a building in Limassol, according to information from the Police.
As reported, around 10.50 last night, shots were fired at a building, located in the area of Linopetra, in Limassol.
The shots at first glance seem to have caused damage to the glass of the main entrance of the building, as well as to window glass on the first floor.
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The Police in Nicosia arrested three persons, aged 21, 21 and 23, on Thursday, in connection with a case of possession and circulation of counterfeit banknotes in the province of Famagusta. The details of the three suspects were released by the Police just yesterday, as part of the investigations into the case.
According to a police announcement, the three suspects were arrested in connection with offenses committed on 11/09/2026, in the province of Famagusta.They are two men aged 21 and a third man aged 23.
Their photos and details were released by the Police on 16/09/2026, as part of the investigation of the case and in order to collect information that could lead to their identification. "Following information received from YDAP, the three suspects were located and arrested in Nicosia, around 1.30 pm today," it added.
It is reported that for the same case, on 11/09/2026, two other persons, aged 20, were arrested by members of the Police and a six-day detention order was issued against them, on the same day, by the Famagusta District Court, for the purpose of police examinations.
Upon completion of the police examinations, this morning, the two 20-year-olds were brought before the Famagusta District Court, where the case was registered for trial. The District Court ordered that the two defendants remain in custody until 28/09/2026, when the continuation of the trial of the case was set.
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A total of 396 boxes of duty-free cigarettes and heated cigarettes were found and confiscated by members of the Police in Nicosia, specifically by members of the Nicosia OPE.
The tobacco products were found in the possession of a 40-year-old man, who was arrested by the members of the Police and subsequently, an out-of-court notice was issued to him for the payment of a sum of money amounting to €20,000.
On the basis of information from the Nicosia OPE, which concerned the illegal possession, trafficking and marketing of duty-free tobacco products, and fraudulent evasion of VAT, the members of the Police carried out a search operation on September 16 and 17. As part of the police operation, they located and stopped the 40-year-old, while he was traveling by car, in an area in Engomi. A search of the 40-year-old's car followed, in which the following were found and confiscated:
301 boxes of heated cigarettes
95 cigarette boxes
Amount of money 2,400 euros
Two mobile phones
After it was found that they were duty-free tobacco products, the members of the Police proceeded to arrest the 40-year-old. He was taken to the offices of the Customs Department in Nicosia, where the found evidence was delivered, as well as the 40-year-old's vehicle, which was also detained.
Officials of the Customs Department issued the 40-year-old an out-of-court notice of payment of €20,000 for the possession of the found duty-free products.
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Pafos Press
Police arrested a 26-year-old man last night to facilitate the investigation of a case involving excessive speeding and other traffic offenses.
Specifically, around 10:30 p.m. yesterday, while officers from the Traffic Department Headquarters (Avdimou Unit) were conducting speed checks on the Limassol-Paphos motorway, they detected a car traveling at 161 km/h, exceeding the legal limit of 100 km/h.
Officers signaled the driver to stop, but he continued driving. Police pursued the vehicle—which was being driven negligently and dangerously—as the driver failed to stop despite repeated signals from the officers.
At a certain point, after turning onto the old Paphos-Limassol road, the driver was intercepted. A subsequent check revealed that the driver was a 26-year-old man operating the vehicle without a driver's license or insurance certificate.
The 26-year-old was arrested for the offenses committed in the act and taken into custody; breathalyzer and drug tests yielded negative results. The Kouklia Police Station is continuing its investigations.
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€15.7 million mobile phone fraud: Investigations into companies in Cyprus
Cypriot authorities assisted in an international investigation led by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office; the Cyprus Police participated yesterday, 16/09/2026, in a Joint Action Day, during which coordinated operations were carried out in Austria, Bulgaria, Germany, and Cyprus.
Yesterday’s police operations were conducted as part of an investigation into a large-scale fraud and VAT non-payment case involving mobile phone sales, totaling €15.7 million.
According to the evidence under investigation, the perpetrators established a cross-border trade network involving companies in Bulgaria, Germany, and Cyprus to illegally evade VAT payments on online mobile phone sales in Germany. Based on the evidence, the total amount involved in the fraud and unpaid VAT is estimated at €15.7 million.
Searches of the suspects' homes and premises, as well as the facilities of the companies involved, led to the arrest of three individuals in Bulgaria and one in Germany. They also resulted in the freezing of assets belonging to two suspects and two companies in Germany, amounting to €20.5 million, while competent German authorities are taking steps to recover assets from the companies involved. So far, a sum of €3.3 million has been recovered from one of the companies involved.
In Cyprus, a total of five companies and one residence were searched in Nicosia and Larnaca. During the searches, various documents and electronic data were discovered and seized as evidence. Statements are being taken from various individuals as part of the investigation into the case.
On behalf of the Police, the investigation involved the Crime Combating Department of Police Headquarters, with personnel from the European Arrest Warrants and Requests Execution Office and the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate. The investigations in the country were conducted under the supervision of the European Delegated Prosecutor of the European Public Prosecutor’s Office in Cyprus, with the participation of the Cyprus Police and the Tax Department, as well as investigators from Germany who arrived in Cyprus to assist with yesterday’s joint action day.
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An incident involving pro-Palestinian individuals and Israelis reportedly took place in Paphos; a video circulating on social media captures a violent clash between several people.
According to the description accompanying the footage, two pro-Palestinian activists allegedly approached a group of Israelis, shouting slogans such as "Freedom for Palestine" and "You are not welcome here."
The same source claims that one of the activists subsequently attacked an Israeli, prompting five Israelis to retaliate, resulting in a brawl.
In the footage—reportedly filmed at night on a street in Paphos—several men can be seen exchanging blows, while some strike individuals who are on the ground.
The video also features Hebrew text presenting the incident as an attack by pro-Palestinian activists against Israelis in Paphos. SigmaLive contacted the police for further information, but it appears that no formal complaint has been filed so far, and the exact time the altercation took place remains unknown.
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Filenews
Two men aged 40 and 46 were arrested in the early hours of this morning in Larnaca and Nicosia, after they were found driving their cars under the influence of alcohol.
Specifically, around 1.30 in the morning today, members of the Larnaca Traffic Police stopped a car driven by a 40-year-old man for a check on Tuz Hané Street.
The 40-year-old driver was subjected to an alcohol test with a final reading of 147μg instead of 22μg, which is the maximum limit by the Law, resulting in his arrest. He was taken to the offices of the Larnaca Traffic Police where he was then released to be summoned before a Court.
The Larnaca Traffic Police continues the examinations.
In Nicosia, members of the Traffic Headquarters stopped for a check on Evgenias and Theodotou Street, 40 minutes after midnight today, a car driven by a 46-year-old.
During the alcohol test that followed, the final reading was 71μg instead of 22μg which is the maximum limit by the Law.
The 46-year-old was taken to the Omorphita Police Station where he was arrested, and then released to be summoned before a Court.
The Omorphita Police Station continues the examinations.
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Arson seems to be due, at first glance, to a fire that broke out on Friday night in a private vehicle in Strovolos, which was parked in a metal garage opposite the owner's house.
The Fire Service received a call at 21:41, however the fire had already been extinguished by a neighbor with a water hose before the arrival of firefighters.
Members of the Fire Brigade inspected the vehicle and finally extinguished it. A fire truck responded to the scene.
According to the first assessment, the fire appears to have been set maliciously, with the exact causes being investigated.
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The authorities in Limassol mobilized in the early hours of the morning to rescue a 15-year-old girl from Russia, who fell from a third-floor apartment window and ended up on the roof of a wooden pergola on the ground floor of the apartment building.
According to the Fire Department, the call was received at 04:17 in the morning, with a rescue team approaching the minor and, in cooperation with the Ambulance Service, placing her on an immobilization stretcher.
She was then handed over to an ambulance and taken to the A&E of the Limassol General Hospital, where she was kept for treatment for precautionary reasons, as she does not have serious injuries.
According to the Police, information is being investigated that the 15-year-old, before the fall, consumed alcohol with her peers.
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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 police operations, seven people were arrested for various offenses such as driving under the influence of alcohol and traffic offenses.
As part of these operations, during the night, 850 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 1,162 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 60 inspections were carried out in premises with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, during which 14 complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 395 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while 37 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 95 concerned exceeding the speed limit, while as part of the police examinations, 23 vehicles were detained.
354 alcohol tests were carried out, from which 34 complaints emerged, as well as 3 preliminary drug tests with a positive result.
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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The non-criminal prosecution of the parents of the 4-year-old child who last Saturday afternoon lost his life in a tragic way, falling into the void from the 6th floor of an apartment building in Agios Dometios, was decided today by the Legal Service.
The child's parents, who come from an African country, were arrested and placed in 4-day detention since last Monday, in order to investigate the circumstances under which the child was found in the void. It was considered whether they were responsible for the incident. But both gave the same version, that is, that the child escaped their attention, had gone to the toilet and then unknown how he fell into the void from an open window of a closed balcony.
Today, investigators from the Nicosia Police Department forwarded the case file to the Legal Service for instructions, as there does not seem to be any negligence on the part of the parents. Officials of the Legal Service who studied the testimonies ruled that there is no background for criminal prosecution of the parents for the tragic event.
Following this, the child's parents were released after their detention order expired today and the case will be archived. It now remains for them to be given back the care of their other child, a minor girl, who was assigned to the Social Welfare Services after their arrest.
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A criminal case is pending against the accused with 11 charges related to serious offenses of domestic violence, violence against women, harassment and causing actual bodily harm. The offenses are mainly directed against his partner, while there is also a charge of malicious damage to her mother's house. The acts were allegedly committed over a wide period of time, from July 2024 to August 2026.
During the initial proceedings before the Nicosia District Court on September 3, 2026, the Prosecution had requested the pre-trial detention of the accused, citing both the risk of evading justice and the risk of recommitting offenses. In support of the request, data were presented on the aggravated health of the complainant, who is receiving medication due to stress, as well as the burdened criminal record of the accused. The Romanian has been convicted in the past of theft and malicious damage, while three other serious cases are pending against him. These include a 2025 case on charges of child sexual abuse and dissemination of pornographic material, as well as cases of theft of high-value items.
Despite this information, the Court of First Instance rejected the request for detention. Among other things, he took into account the fact that the complainant had filed affidavits in which she withdrew her complaint and expressed the desire not to testify against him. At the same time, the court of first instance ruled that there was no risk of evasion of justice and imposed financial and restrictive conditions on the accused, including removal orders and a ban on contact with the victim and her mother.
This decision was challenged by the Attorney General. The Court of Appeal, composed of Judges M. Abizas, St. Christodoulidou-Messiou and I. Stylianidou, annulled the first instance order. The decision of the body was read by Judge Christodoulidou-Messiou.
In its reasoning, the Court of Appeal underlined that the risk of re-offending is obvious. As noted, the alleged offenses in the present case were committed during the period when the accused was already under restrictive conditions for the other serious cases pending against him. The case law clearly states that the commission of new offenses while a person is free on parole decisively increases the likelihood of recidivism.
In addition, the Court clarified that the subsequent withdrawal of the complaint by the victim does not in any way affect the judgment of the defendant's dangerousness. The prevention of crime and the assessment of the defendant's tendency towards delinquency are based on the overall material of the case and its history, and not on the victim's intention to attend the trial.
Following these findings on the risk of recidivism, the Court of Appeal noted that there is no need to examine the risk of evasion of justice, as the establishment of only one of the grounds for detention is sufficient for pre-trial detention. Therefore, the immediate annulment of the restrictive conditions and prohibitory decrees was ordered and the detention of the accused was imposed until September 21, 2026, when the next hearing before the Nicosia District Court is set to answer the charges.
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in-cyprus
Four defendants accused of defrauding a 77-year-old man out of tens of thousands of euros will now enter their pleas on October 5, after their lawyers asked for more detail on the evidence and each defendant’s alleged role.The four, a 44-year-old and a 42-year-old businessman, a 49-year-old already facing other charges, and a 45-year-old woman, appeared before Larnaca’s Permanent Criminal Court on Friday morning, where they had been due to enter pleas to the charges against them. Their lawyers instead asked for further evidence and more detail on the case against each defendant, prompting the court to set October 5 as the new date for pleas.
Charges and custody status
The four face charges including money laundering, participation in a criminal organisation and conspiracy to commit a felony. The 44-year-old Larnaca businessman and the 49-year-old are both in custody over the case.ver the torture of members of the public at an illegal casino in Pyla, and over a shooting in Larnaca on January 17. The 44-year-old faces a separate charge of alleged witness intimidation linked to the same January 17 shooting incident in Larnaca’s town centre.
The 42-year-old Nicosia businessman and the 45-year-old woman have been released on conditional bail.
How the alleged fraud began
The four were arrested after the 77-year-old pensioner reported that he had been defrauded of large sums of money between 2021 and 2024. According to his complaint, it began when he and his son-in-law sold two properties in Pyla worth €3 million to a company of which the 42-year-old Nicosia businessman is a director.
The 44-year-old is alleged to have become involved in the case shortly afterwards. According to the pensioner, the 44-year-old and the 49-year-old persuaded him to become their partner in a betting shop and took a total of €49,000 from him. The 49-year-old is alleged to have separately worked with the 45-year-old to take more than €150,000 from him. The Nicosia businessman is alleged to have pressured the complainant, with the help of the other defendants, into changing the terms of the property sale.
Two Brazilian nationals accused of setting off fireworks that sparked a fire in Kornos will remain in custody after Cyprus’ Court of Appeal unanimously rejected their challenge to a detention order.
The 27-year-old man and 29-year-old woman are due to appear before Larnaca Criminal Court on October 21, 2026, on a series of serious charges, including arson, attempted arson, causing a fire in a state forest and reckless and negligent acts. They also face three counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and one of conspiracy to commit a misdemeanour.
According to evidence presented before the first-instance court, the two defendants, who live in Limassol, travelled to Kornos on August 2, 2026, where they allegedly bought a lighter and fountain-type fireworks from a kiosk.
They are alleged to have placed and lit the fireworks in a nearby field, setting dry grass alight.
Passing motorists saw smoke, stopped and tried to extinguish the fire. According to the court ruling, the two defendants got into their car laughing when they saw the motorists.
The woman is also alleged to have approached the scene holding a bottle of water but refused to give it to a person who was trying to put out the fire, according to the evidence before the court.
The director of the Forestry Department described the area as being at high risk of fire, with dry vegetation, shrubs and extensive pine forests.
The first-instance court found there was a “visible prospect of conviction”, while also saying that a reasonable prospect of acquittal could not be excluded.
It said the defendants’ claims and the defence’s arguments over weaknesses in the evidence should be assessed at trial rather than during proceedings over their detention.
The main issue before the Court of Appeal was whether the two defendants posed a flight risk.
The lower court had found that their personal and professional ties to Cyprus were not strong enough to counter that risk.
Both are Brazilian nationals and have lived in Cyprus for relatively short periods. The man has been in the Republic for about 18 months with his partner, while the woman has been there for about four months.
Both work in Limassol in specialist roles. The Court of Appeal said no strong ties to Cyprus had been identified beyond their residence and employment that could, in the circumstances, deter them from absconding.
The defence also pointed to the fact that both went voluntarily to Kofinou Police Station on August 3.
The man went there after receiving a message informing him that police were looking for him and showed officers the message. The woman went to the station to visit him and was arrested.
The Court of Appeal ruled that this was not enough, in the circumstances, to eliminate the risk of absconding.
It also noted that the man holds a two-year work permit that can be renewed, while the woman’s application for a work permit remains pending.
The court reiterated that personal liberty is the starting point when detention is considered and that custody is an exception.
It nevertheless found that the lower court had properly considered the relevant criteria established in case law, including the seriousness of the alleged offences, the prospect of conviction, the potential sentence and the defendants’ personal circumstances.
The Court of Appeal found no grounds to intervene, rejected all grounds of appeal and upheld the detention order in full.
A key prosecution witness completed lengthy testimony on Thursday (September 17) in the rape trial of suspended Paphos mayor Phaedon Phaedonos. Paphos’s Permanent Criminal Court then adjourned the case to September 22, to give the defence time to prepare for cross-examination.
Filenews understands that the witness’s testimony, which had begun at the previous hearing, continued today, and after several hours the prosecution completed its questioning of the witness.
Phaedonos’s defence then asked for time to properly prepare to cross-examine the witness. The court granted the request and set the next hearing for September 22.
Filenews had previously reported that the prosecution’s case, presented by Senior Counsel of the Republic Michaella Pasiardi, is roughly halfway through, according to the same sources.
The offences he is accused of are considered very serious. The first three charges carry a maximum sentence of life imprisonment if he is convicted. The alleged offences are said to have taken place in 2014.
