Sinister plans, blackmail, intimidation and more were heard yesterday at the Larnaca District Court during remand proceedings for four suspects – three men and one woman – linked to an ongoing investigation into a criminal organisation allegedly operating in Larnaca over recent years.
The suspects include a 44-year-old businessman in Larnaca, a 45-year-old woman from the district, a 49-year-old remand prisoner in the Central Prisons with an extensive criminal record, and a 42-year-old accountant from Nicosia. Eight-day detention orders were issued for the first three, and a six-day order for the 42-year-old.
According to sworn testimony by CID sergeant Angeliki Daniil, the suspects allegedly devised a well-organised scheme against a 77-year-old man from Larnaca from as early as 2021. Through threats, deception and extortion, they are said to have extracted very large sums of money from him.
In his statement to police, the complainant said he was threatened with death if he did not comply, forcing him to hand over money out of fear. He reported the case to CID Larnaca last March, after which a special investigative team was assigned.
The police witness referred in detail to property transactions in Pyla and Anglisides, worth millions of euros, involving land owned by the complainant and his son-in-law. These were allegedly transferred to the 44-year-old businessman and the 42-year-old accountant without the 77-year-old receiving the full value of the properties.
There were also claims of pressure on the complainant to become a partner in a betting agency, despite never signing any relevant documents. Under the pretext of this “partnership”, substantial sums were allegedly extracted from him.
The 45-year-old’s role
Testimony also described the alleged role of the 45-year-old woman in extracting hundreds of thousands of euros from the elderly man.
According to the complainant, she initially claimed to have marital problems and expressed a desire to leave for Greece with him. She allegedly pretended to have a romantic interest in order to obtain money.
She later claimed her child suffered from epilepsy and needed expensive treatment from a doctor visiting from Israel. She also asked for help to repay an €80,000 debt from a casino in Limassol.
Sergeant Daniil said the 49-year-old suspect would, in several instances, use threats and shouting to force the complainant to hand over the money requested by the woman.
Threats and intimidation
The police witness stated that the 49-year-old showed the complainant videos on his phone in which he was seen torturing other individuals and placing a gun in their mouths, telling him: “See what I do to those who don’t pay.”
That torture case is currently pending before the Larnaca Assize Court.
On several occasions, the suspect allegedly threatened to kill the 77-year-old, telling him “I will deal with you”. The complainant also reported a shooting incident at his home, saying he saw a vehicle resembling one used by the suspect leaving the scene.
Investigators also found that the property acquired by the 44-year-old businessman between 2021 and 2025 did not correspond to his declared income.
Police said significant investigative work remains, including around 50 statements and financial investigations involving all four suspects.
