Filenews 5/10
The Police arrested 19 people as part of their preventive operations, while 312 drivers were also reported for various traffic violations, seven of which were for drug use.
A relevant announcement states that the arrest of 19 persons was made for various offenses such as, illegal stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, illegal possession of drugs, driving under the influence of alcohol.
As part of these operations, during the night, 532 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 682 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 46 inspections were carried out in premises with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, during which 3 complaints emerged.
During traffic checks carried out, 312 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while 21 investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.
Of the complaints made, 109 concerned exceeding the speed limit, while as part of the police examinations, 17 vehicles were detained.
87 alcohol tests were carried out, from which 5 complaints emerged, as well as 9 preliminary drug tests with seven positive results.
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 44-year-old Greek Cypriot, who was extradited to Cyprus from Greece and arrested on Friday night at Larnaca Airport, was released today, Sunday, as a European arrest warrant was pending against him.
The 44-year-old was brought before the Limassol District Court yesterday Saturday, where the investigators of the Limassol Police Department requested his detention for the purpose of investigating five cases of burglary and theft.
His lawyer objected to the detention request. After a marathon court process, the Court reserved its decision for today and finally rejected the request of the investigators, ruling that there was no necessity for the detention of the 44-year-old. Therefore, the suspect was released.
According to the data under investigation, the five cases of burglary and theft were committed in the years 2010 to 2013 and concern premises in Limassol, Nicosia and Paphos.
In one of the cases, the perpetrators allegedly entered a travel agency and, after drilling a hole in the wall, went to an adjacent post office, from where a sum of money and other property were stolen.
In another case, the perpetrators allegedly entered a jewelry store through an adjacent property and stole jewelry of great value. The rest of the cases concern attempts or burglaries of premises, with the investigators having secured, according to the evidence of the case they presented to the Court, scientific testimony linking the 44-year-old to scenes of the crimes.
Arrest warrants had been issued against him, while his details had been entered on the stop-list. He was located in Greece after he was released from a criminal case he had. Subsequently, the process of his extradition to Cyprus took place
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Three persons, aged 28, 22 and 20, were detained for eight days by the Limassol District Court, who were arrested in connection with the placement of an explosive device outside a telecommunications store in the Mesa Geitonia area, in Limassol.
The proceedings before the Court began around 11 am and ended at 18:30, with the Court finally approving the Police's request for 8 days of detention of the three suspects. Their lawyers objected to their detention.
According to the evidence put before the Court, the three suspects are allegedly connected to the placement of the explosive device. The case is linked to AEL's complaint to the Police for manipulating the match with APOEL.
This complaint is under investigation by the authorities.
The investigators of the TAE Limassol reportedly secured testimony involving the three persons in the case. A decisive element in the investigations was a large motorcycle, which was allegedly used by the perpetrator and was later located in Lofou.
The examination identified the owner of the motorcycle, while the use of material from closed surveillance circuits, combined with other information obtained, allegedly led the investigators to the details of the other two suspects.
The three were arrested on the basis of court warrants and were brought before the Limassol District Court today.
According to information brought to the attention of the Court, the second suspect had recently been arrested in connection with riot offenses, which occurred after the end of the APOEL-AEL match, on September 6, outside the GSP.
Two more persons are being sought for the bomb case.
The bomb and the chase
It is recalled that in the early hours of last Wednesday, the Police received information about a suspicious movement of a person, who was riding a motorcycle and moving near the specific store.
Members of the Police rushed to the scene and found a large motorcycle, without registration plates, on which one person was riding.
As soon as the driver realized the presence of the police, he developed speed and fled, as a result of which a chase ensued. However, it was not possible to oppose it.
During the inspection of the scene, an improvised explosive device of high power was found outside the entrance of the store, which did not explode.
A Police pyrotechnician was called to the scene, who proceeded to inactivate the mechanism. Subsequently, the explosive device was received and sent for scientific examinations
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A pistol was found today, in the province of Nicosia, which was received by members of the Police for further examination.
Specifically, around 2.25 p.m. members of the Nicosia Police Department, after evaluating information, went to an area of the Nicosia district, where on the ground floor of an apartment building they found a pistol with a magazine in a wooden box of electrical switches.
The pistol and the magazine were omitted by the members of the Police to undergo specialized examinations.
The TAE of Nicosia continues the examinations.
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On 4/10/2026, officials of the Customs Department at Larnaca Airport, after evaluating information, identified 2 cases of passengers of Irish nationality (37 and 52 years old) bound for Manchester and London, United Kingdom respectively, with their luggage containing large quantities of duty-free tobacco products.
Specifically, a total of 244 boxes of 200 cigarettes each were found in the 4 checked luggage of one passenger, while smoke for a rolled cigarette with a total weight of 9 kilograms and 500 grams was found in 2 small luggage of the other passenger, the packaging of which did not bear the labeling for the harmful effects of smoking in the Greek and Turkish languages, but neither did the security feature and the unique traceability code, indications that they were duty-free.
The 2 passengers were arrested for flagrante delicto, while their luggage and contents were confiscated. The first passenger was taken to detention, while to appear today at the Larnaca District Court The second passenger was released, after his request for an out-of-court settlement of the case with the payment of €3,500 was accepted.
The seized cigarettes will follow the prescribed destruction procedure.
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Members of the Police made 99 complaints about drivers who did not wear a protective helmet during yesterday's nationwide policing campaign for the non-use of a protective helmet by riders of motorcycles, mopeds, bicycles and personal mobility devices.
In addition to the above complaints, the members of the Police during the campaign, identified and reported another 305 traffic violations. Among them, nine complaints related to driving a motor vehicle without a driver's license. At the same time, during the campaign, 17 personal mobility devices and 9 motorcycles were detained by the Police.
The aim of the campaign was to prevent road collisions, enhance road safety and raise awareness of the use of protective helmets.
Since the beginning of the year, 1,360 violations have been reported concerning the non-use of protective helmets on motorcyclists, 381 on cyclists and 1,845 on users of personal mobility devices.
The Police continue traffic checks daily, around the clock, throughout the road network throughout Cyprus. The sole objective is to consolidate road awareness and correct road behaviour by all road users, to prevent road collisions and increase safety on the road network.
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Two road collisions that occurred in the same place involving drivers who appeared to be under the influence of alcohol are being investigated by the Police in Nicosia.
In one of the two collisions, a police officer was slightly injured after the car driven by a 22-year-old man collided with a patrol vehicle.
Specifically, around 10 last night, while a 44-year-old man was driving his car on Agiou Prokopiou Street in the direction of the Parisinou roundabout in Nicosia, he deviated from his course and crashed into a metal street lighting pole where he stopped in the middle of the two traffic lanes.
The driver of the car was slightly injured and was transported by ambulance to Nicosia General Hospital.
In it, an alcohol test was carried out with a final reading of 42μg instead of 22μg, which is the maximum limit by the Law.
Parisinou Street, between the Parisinou roundabout, and the light-controlled intersection of Agiou Prokopiou Street with Griva Digeni, had been cut off by the Police for security purposes until the pile was repaired by a crew.
Around 1.30 a.m. and while the repair work was in progress, a car driven by a 22-year-old man, exiting the Parisinou roundabout and entering Agiou Prokopiou Street, crashed into a parked patrol vehicle that was at the scene for safety purposes, with the headlights and beacons on.
Inside the patrol car was a member of the Police who was injured and was transported by ambulance to the Nicosia General Hospital for examinations.
The driver of the car was subjected to a breathalyzer test with a final reading of 57μg instead of 22μg, which is the maximum limit by the Law.
The two drivers were reported out of court for driving under the influence of alcohol. As for the two injured, they are expected to be discharged with the Nicosia Traffic Police continuing the investigation into the road collisions.
The two collisions with drivers under the influence of alcohol demonstrate the need and importance of intensive controls and targeted measures taken by the Police to prevent traffic collisions and enhance road safety.
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The Court of Appeal imposed stricter prison sentences on two persons convicted of possession of 211.10 grams of methamphetamine for the purpose of supply, ruling that the first-instance sentences were "manifestly insufficient" in relation to the seriousness of the offenses.
In a unanimous decision, issued on September 30, 2026, the Court of Appeal accepted the appeals of the Attorney General of the Republic and increased the sentence of one defendant from four to 5.5 years in prison and the second from 3.5 to five years.
The two defendants, after admission, were found guilty of conspiracy, illegal possession and possession of a class A controlled drug, i.e. methamphetamine, with the intention of supplying it to other persons. It is noted that one was facing an additional charge of illegal stay in the Republic after the expiration of his temporary residence permit.
According to the facts of the case, the amount of drugs was found during a police search of a residence in Nicosia, where the two defendants lived.
The methamphetamine was found in the bedroom, where one of them lived, and the Criminal Court found that the drugs were in their joint possession for the purpose of supplying to third parties.
The Criminal Court had imposed a prison sentence of four years on one defendant and 3.5 years on the second. The differentiation of the sentences was based, among other things, on the fact that the second was young and had a clean criminal record, while the first was older and had a previous conviction.
The Attorney General appealed the sentences, arguing that they were "manifestly inadequate" and that the Court of First Instance did not give due weight to the seriousness of the offences, the need to impose dissuasive penalties and the aggravating factors.
In its decision, the Court of Appeal reiterated that it does not primarily redefine the sentence imposed by the Court of First Instance and that intervention is only possible when the sentence is objectively manifestly insufficient or excessive or when an error of principle is found.
In the present case, the Court of Appeal found that there was a "clear mismatch" between the seriousness of the offences and the penalties imposed, as well as a 'substantial deviation' from the framework established by the case law in similar cases.
The Court of Appeal noted that the seriousness of drug-related offences and the need to impose dissuasive penalties have been repeatedly highlighted by case law, particularly in cases of possession of drugs for the purpose of supplying to third parties.
At the same time, the Court held that the Criminal Court had correctly taken into account the aggravating and mitigating factors. Among other things, the guilty plea of the two defendants was taken into account, as well as the fact that they were not the final drug traffickers, but acted as links in the trafficking chain.
However, the Court of Appeal held that this evidence could not justify penalties that did not reflect the seriousness of possession of a large quantity of methamphetamine for the purpose of supply.
The Court also underlined that despite the need to individualize the sentence, the personal circumstances of the defendants have limited weight when it comes to serious drug offences, where the protection of society as a whole and the effective application of the law are paramount.
CNA
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A large number of ampoules of nitrous oxide were found last night by members of the Police, after a search by virtue of a court warrant in a premises in the province of Famagusta.
Specifically, during the investigation carried out by members of the Famagusta OPE, the following were identified:
- 271 ampoules containing nitrous oxide
- 47 used nitric oxide ampoules
- 4 metal canisters and number of balloons
The person in charge of the premises was summoned to report to the Ayia Napa Police Station for further action.
The Ayia Napa Police Station continues the examinations.
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Members of the Police arrested a 25-year-old man this morning in the province of Paphos.
Specifically, around 7.50 a.m., during a patrol on Adamantiou Korai Street in Paphos, members of ADE Paphos stopped a car driven by the 25-year-old for a check.
The driver was subjected to a breathalyzer test with a lower final reading of 100μg instead of 22μg, which is the maximum limit allowed by law, as a result of which he was arrested for a flagrante delicto.
The 25-year-old appeared on the same day before the Paphos District Court for immediate registration of a case against him. The Court set the case for the 25-year-old's response on October 7, 2026, while imposing a deprivation of his driver's license until the above date.
The Paphos Traffic Police continues the examinations.
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A brutal attack on a food distributor in Limassol, with the man being hit and kicked on Spyrou Kyprianou Avenue, records a video published by RoadReportCY. The incident took place around the afternoon of Friday, October 2, however so far no complaint has been made to the Police.
In the footage, the delivery man appears next to the fallen bike and its equipment, while a stopped black vehicle is nearby. Tension and physical confrontation follow, which is transferred to the traffic island, with the delivery man being hit and kicked.
A second man is then involved in the confrontation.
According to testimony obtained by RoadReportCY, the episode had started shortly before the camera was activated. The eyewitness stated that the delivery man was moving on his bicycle next to immobilized vehicles, when a person from a car allegedly grabbed him by the distribution bag and pulled him off the bike, causing him to fall to the ground.
"One of them reached out his hand through the window, grabbed the delivery bag from the man and threw him to the ground. Then they got out of the car and started beating him," the witness said.
This moment is not recorded in the video and is described only in the eyewitness testimony. The confrontation that followed, however, has been recorded.
According to the same witness, the men left after the incident with the black vehicle.
