The trial for the first two cases handled by the newly established elite unit of the Cyprus Police, known as the Cypriot FBI, is set to begin at the end of June. Although these appear to be two separate cases, the evidence accompanying them indicates they are interconnected. The defendants in the first case are a Greek couple of Georgian origin, aged 49 and 50, while the second case involves a 45-year-old police officer. According to the police, they are linked to extortion rackets and other criminal activities that have taken place in Limassol since the beginning of 2025. The two cases were filed separately under different procedures, and their trials will proceed independently.
While the charges faced by the couple are far more severe, both cases act as an umbrella for various criminal activities carried out in Limassol. Specifically, the structure of the criminal organisation involved the extortion and intimidation of prominent businessmen to extract massive sums of money or even corporate shares. Concurrently, the network is allegedly involved in drug trafficking rings and the protection of nightclubs operated through private security firms.
What sets these cases apart, prompting the intervention of the new specialized police unit, is the extreme methods employed and the immense sums of money laundered. The documentation includes extortion methods involving shootings and bombings, specifically targeting high-revenue enterprises such as foreign exchange (forex) firms, betting agencies and financial companies. Notably, the perpetrators did not merely demand large cash sums but went as far as demanding shares in these corporations.
The Georgian couple
The court proceedings to refer the couple to trial were conducted strictly behind closed doors following a police request based on security concerns. According to sources, the charges against the two suspects relate to at least 14 criminal incidents that occurred in Limassol from the beginning of 2025 onwards. Among others, these include shootings at forex corporate offices, an attempted murder at a hotel and the well-known targeted offenses against a Russian businessman.
The 49-year-old man and 50-year-old woman face exceptionally grave charges, including conspiracy to commit a felony, participation in a criminal organisation, laundering of proceeds from illegal activities, various tax offences and unlawful possession of property. The court decided to release both individuals on strict conditions until the trial commences at the end of June. Specifically, they have surrendered their travel documents, their names have been placed on the stop list, they have provided a financial guarantee from a solvent guarantor and they are required to sign in daily at their local police station.
The evidence gathered so far connects the couple directly, both as relatives and business associates, with a person who is currently wanted by Greek authorities and is believed to be operating out of Dubai. According to police investigations, the two suspects acted on his behalf in Cyprus, primarily serving as financial couriers responsible for collecting cash and funneling it to the wanted fugitive through various channels. During a search of their residence at the time of their arrest, officers discovered a photograph of the 50-year-old woman with the wanted individual, along with other evidence confirming their relationship. Furthermore, they made a series of recent trips to Thessaloniki and Dubai, with a close relative of the alleged mastermind being present on one of the flights from Cyprus to Dubai.
What originally led the police to the couple was a forensic financial audit of their bank accounts and asset profiles, particularly focusing on luxury vehicles they bought and maintained recently. Detailed financial and accounting analysis concluded that their actual income was entirely inconsistent with their affluent lifestyle.
In the same pattern
The 45-year-old police officer has also been referred to a trial scheduled to begin at the end of June. The officer faces charges relating to the laundering of proceeds from illegal activities as well as offenses concerning his tax declarations. The defendant has been released on bail conditions.
Although authorities initially investigated him for very serious extortion offenses, the final indictment shows that the scope of his charges has been significantly narrowed down. The prosecution is focusing on financial transactions and large cash deposits made during the period 2020–2026, which do not align with the 45-year-old's declared income and tax returns, alongside the origin of a large amount of cash seized at his home.
Of particular interest is the fact that he also travelled frequently abroad, specifically to Athens and Thessaloniki. At the same time, authorities are auditing his transactions involving the purchase and sale of luxury vehicles, as no financial records, loans or bank withdrawals have been identified so far to legally justify how these assets were acquired.
