Wednesday, October 7, 2026

CRIME ROUND UP

Pafos Live 7 October 2026



The Police arrested a 23-year-old man yesterday morning, to facilitate investigations into an investigated case of fraud related to a computer and extortion of money with false representations. 

The investigation of the case began after a complaint was made to the Police last February by a 64-year-old resident of Limassol. According to the complainant, on February 1, 2026, she received a message on her mobile phone which appeared to come from a private courier company. The complainant opened the link of the message sent to her and in her attempt to pay the price of €3.46, she found that strangers had extracted the amount of €34.600 from her account. 

From the examinations carried out by members of the Cybercrime Sub-Directorate, testimony was obtained against the 23-year-old, who was arrested on a court warrant yesterday and taken into custody to facilitate investigations. 

The 23-year-old is expected to appear before the Limassol District Court this morning for the procedure for issuing a detention order.   The case is being investigated by the DDOE of the TAE Limassol.

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Filenews


The 45-year-old Iranian, who is accused of participating in the burglary of a second-hand branded store in Limassol, from which the perpetrators snatched bags, watches and jewellery, changed his stance before the Criminal Court and admitted to burglary with a loot of €220.000.

The case was set today (6/10) before the Permanent Criminal Court of Limassol, where the hearing was scheduled to begin and the dozens of evidence of the case were submitted. However, the accused, after consulting his lawyers, decided to admit the charges of burglary and theft of property, the value of which amounts to €220.000, as well as the crime of conspiracy.

After this development, some of the charges he faced were suspended. The 45-year-old was arrested three months after the burglary, after he was linked through DNA to evidence found in the stairwell of an apartment building's elevator, not far from the store.

Following this development, the Criminal Court set a new date for the events and the imposition of the sentence.

As Filenews had written in a previous article, for about half an hour the two perpetrators went back and forth outside the store reselling used branded products, in order to manage to break into it. The 45-year-old defendant was summoned to the Police a few days after the burglary for interrogation, as information had been received that he may be involved in the case.

During his interrogation, he denied any involvement, claiming that he had never visited the specific store or the elevator staircase on the roof of the apartment building located near the store, where the stolen property of the complaining owner was found. However, he consented to the taking of fingerprints and genetic material, which were sent for scientific examinations.

The scientific analysis of the evidence proved to be enlightening, since genetic material was isolated in three of them, which was identified with the 45-year-old.

Specifically, his DNA was found in a paper necklace box, on the outside of a green bin and on the handle of the sledgehammer used by the perpetrators.

The burglary occurred on 15/09/2025, around 04:00. The perpetrators, wearing hoods, first cut the chain from the metal security door and then, using a sledgehammer, broke the glass entrance door of the store.

After entering the area, they snatched designer bags and jewellery from the store's front interior windows, placing the stolen property in a trash can. They then fled in the middle of the night.

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The two young men who were arrested yesterday for killing a cat by shooting in Paphos, were brought before the Paphos District Court today, which issued two-day detention orders against them. An 18-year-old national guardsman was arrested on Monday for the same case, who was placed in four-day detention since yesterday by court decision.

The heinous case is being investigated by the Paphos Police Department, which examines, in addition to killing an animal, offenses related to conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor and felony, illegal possession and transport of a firearm and explosives, as well as firing a shot in a residential area.

The case came to light last Sunday, when a 56-year-old man reported to the Police that he found his cat dead near his home. Members of the Animal Unit and the Paphos Central Police Station went to the scene on the same day for examinations. During the autopsy performed on Monday, the animal was found to have 13 firearm pellets.

As part of the investigation, an arrest warrant was obtained against an 18-year-old, who was arrested on Monday. During a search of his home, a number of items were located and confiscated.

Now, three people are in the hands of the authorities who, according to the Police, played an active role in the commission of the crime.

The Paphos TAE continues the examinations.

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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, five persons were arrested for various offenses such as illegal stay in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, illegal possession of drugs, assault on a police officer and others.

As part of these operations, during the night, 456 vehicles were stopped for inspection and 599 persons on board were checked. At the same time, 32 inspections were carried out in premises with the aim of dealing with phenomena of delinquency, during which five complaints emerged.

During traffic checks carried out, 263 complaints were made, concerning various traffic violations, while ten investigated cases of traffic violations also emerged.

Of the complaints made, 100 concerned exceeding the speed limit, while as part of the police examinations, seven vehicles were detained. In addition, 140 alcohol tests were carried out, from which four complaints emerged.

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 Police are investigating a case of possession of child sexual abuse material, after the arrest of a 33-year-old man, which took place today.

The investigation of the case began after information received from EUROPOL, according to which a specific user of the GOOGLE platform possesses child sexual abuse material.

From the examinations that followed, testimony emerged against a 33-year-old man, who was arrested today, on the basis of a court warrant, in the province of Larnaca.

The arrested person is expected to appear before a court tomorrow for the purpose of issuing a detention order.

The Cybercrime Prosecution Branch continues the examinations.

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An operation to illegally transfer Syrians from Lebanon to Cyprus was thwarted by the Lebanese Internal Security Forces, arresting ten Syrians who were in accommodation in the Al-Abudiya area. According to the announcement of the authorities, which was released by the Lebanese Armed Forces, two persons had undertaken to organize their sea transport, for 5.000 dollars per person.

The case was revealed after information gathered by specialized units of the Intelligence Branch, as reported. The Lebanese authorities intensified surveillance in order to identify those involved and prevent them from leaving as soon as possible, before their planned transport by sea could take place.

The searches identified the room where the Syrians were staying, waiting for the transfer operation. The place belonged to a Syrian citizen, born in 1986, whom the announcement identifies with the initials M.M. Both M.M. and the nine Syrians were arrested.

During the interrogation, the arrested admitted that a Lebanese and a Syrian were preparing their illegal transport. They also reported that the two traffickers had collected $5,000 from them for each person as a fee for the trip.

The Public Relations Directorate of the Internal Security Forces included the operation in the continuous effort to deal with illegal migration from the northern Lebanese coast to European countries, using precarious vessels.

The arrested persons were handed over to the competent authority, after following the prescribed legal procedures, following instructions from the competent judicial authority. Investigations continue to identify and arrest the rest of those involved.

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The Police arrested a 24-year-old foreigner, a resident of Nicosia, in the context of investigating cases of theft, fraud related to information systems and money laundering.

According to the data under investigation by TAE Larnaca, on September 21, 2026, a 76-year-old man reported to the Police that he received a message on his mobile phone with the sender "traffic CY" appearing.

The 76-year-old opened the message and entered, among other things, his bank card number. Then, according to the complaint, two withdrawals were made from ATMs in Nicosia, totaling €3.963.

A second similar complaint was made on October 2 by a 68-year-old man. The complainant stated that he received a message on his mobile phone under the name "CY MEDICAL" and, after opening it, entered his credit card details.

It was then found that an amount of €770 had been extorted from him.

The Police examinations secured testimony against a 24-year-old foreigner, a resident of Nicosia. An arrest warrant was issued against him and he was arrested around noon.

A search of his home followed, from which a number of items were received for further examination.

The 24-year-old is expected to be brought before a Court on Wednesday, where the Police will request the issuance of a detention order.

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Seventeen years after the offenses attributed to him, the Supreme Court has rejected the latest attempt by an Israeli national to block his extradition to Russia, paving the way for his surrender to the Russian authorities in order to be tried in a case of piracy using force and weapons. Specifically, the Supreme Court rejected an application by an Israeli citizen, who is being held in the Central Prison, requesting the issuance of a privileged Habeas Corpus warrant and his release, ruling that it had not been proven that his detention was illegal or that his extradition to the Russian Federation would constitute an unjust or oppressive measure.

The applicant, who holds an Israeli passport, is in custody following a decision of the Larnaca District Court, dated February 25, 2026, which ruled that the conditions for his extradition to Russia are met, in order to be tried for offenses related to piracy with the use of force and weapons or objects used as weapons by an organized group.

The offences, according to the request of the Russian authorities, were allegedly committed between July 24 and August 17, 2009. The District Court, in addition to the extradition decision, ordered his detention until the extradition took place.

The applicant argued before the Supreme Court, inter alia, that his identity as the person sought by the Russian authorities had not been sufficiently proven, that after more than 16 years evidence may have been lost or destroyed and witnesses may no longer be available, and that the offences are time-barred under Russian law. At the same time, he invoked the relevant provision of the Fugitive Justice Law, arguing that its issuance would be an unfair and oppressive measure.

The Supreme Court recalled that the Habeas Corpus procedure aims to review the legality of a detention and is a means of protecting personal freedom. However, in the case of a person detained after the approval of an extradition request, the Court does not function as a Court of Appeal and cannot review the factual findings of the court that decided on the extradition, nor substitute its discretion, if it was exercised within the legal limits.

As far as identification is concerned, the judge ruled that it is essentially a challenge to a finding of the District Court, which had before it information such as passports and relevant certificates. According to the Supreme Court, this evidence supported the conclusion that the applicant is the person wanted by the Russian Federation.

The argument relating to limitation was also rejected. The District Court had considered the issue, although it had not been raised at the hearing, and had taken into account the relevant provisions of Russian law, including on the limitation period and the grounds for its suspension. The Supreme Court held that no evidence was brought before it that would demonstrate an erroneous approach by the lower court.

Nor were the applicant's general references to the possible loss or destruction of evidence considered sufficient. The Court noted that no concrete evidence was provided confirming that witnesses have died or emigrated, or that critical evidence has been lost or not retained. Accordingly, general references to the possibility of unfavourable treatment in Russia were not considered sufficient.

The decision notes that, following the withdrawal of the Russian Federation from the European Convention on Human Rights, the guarantees provided by the Russian authorities can no longer be considered satisfactory in themselves. However, according to the Supreme Court, this does not mean that any extradition to Russia is excluded. The requested person must present specific evidence demonstrating a real and visible risk of violation of his or her human rights.

Finally, the Court rejected the claim that extradition would be unfair or oppressive. It took into account, among other things, the applicant's attitude and behavior, as accepted by the District Court, as well as the reference to his multi-year "disappearance" and the efforts of the Russian authorities to locate him and bring him to justice.

In conclusion, the Supreme Court held that the witness material before the District Court justified its findings and that the decision to extradite and detain the applicant was lawful. Therefore, the application for a Habeas Corpus was rejected and the applicant was ordered to remain in custody until his extradition. No order for expenses was issued, while the costs of the translators will be covered by the Republic.

The case is being investigated by the Larnaca Police Department.

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The 51-year-old Romanian monk of the Monastery of Agios Neophytos is referred to a direct trial at the Criminal Court that will meet today in Paphos, on charges of, among other things, attempted murder.

The 51-year-old monk was brought before the Paphos District Court, after the expiration of his six-day detention order on August 14 and the Police requested that he be directly referred to the Criminal Court for the charges against him, the main of which is attempted murder.

The district court decided to refer him to the Paphos Criminal Court which will meet today.

The 51-year-old monk attacked during the incident that took place inside the monastery last August with a sharp instrument against a 53-year-old conservator in the monastery whom he seriously injured, as well as against a novice monk who injured more lightly in the hand, after a suggestion made to him by the Abbot of the Monastery to hand over the keys to the cell in which he lived and leave it.

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The Police are investigating a case of robbery with the victim of a 49-year-old food distributor, which was committed last night, in the province of Larnaca.

According to the data under investigation, around 11.20 p.m., while the 49-year-old was riding his motorcycle in the area of Larnaca, he was approached by a group of ten people, who had their faces covered and stopped his course. The suspects allegedly pointed a knife at him, causing the 49-year-old to run away, abandoning his motorcycle at the scene.

The complainant later located his motorcycle in another area of Larnaca, while nearby he found the food carrier on fire. According to the 49-year-old, he had a sum of money and various personal documents stored in the bag.

TAE Larnaca continues the exams.

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The arrest of a 36-year-old man, in connection with two investigated cases of theft, was made on 05/10/2026 by members of the Police in Limassol.

Specifically, on 06/05/2026 it was reported to the Police that, between the dates 28/04/2026 and 05/05/2026, various power transformer components, two truck batteries and an electric generator were stolen from a fenced EAC station in the province of Limassol.

In another case, on 18/05/2026, it was reported to the Police that, between the dates 16/05/2026 and 18/05/2026, a large number of tools were stolen from a company's warehouse in the Limassol district.

The 36-year-old was arrested on the basis of an arrest warrant and yesterday he was brought before the Limassol District Court, which issued a six-day detention order.

The TAE Limassol continues the examinations.