Police have implemented new investigative protocols following recent espionage incidents at sensitive infrastructure within government-controlled areas, according to a classified directive sent to senior officers.
The document, issued in early September with the highest security classification, establishes procedures for handling cases involving unauthorised photography and suspicious activity at military installations and critical facilities.
Police leadership will now make final decisions on all such investigations, with provincial Crime Detection Units (CID) required to assist local stations handling these cases, according to sources familiar with the directive.
Crime detection units to assist with national security cases
The classified letter addresses “incidents where persons were detected moving suspiciously and/or photographing National Guard military installations, as well as other vital facilities,” according to information obtained by Phileleftheros.
The new protocols ensure that espionage-related crimes, which carry prison sentences exceeding five years, receive appropriate investigative attention from officers experienced in handling such cases.
The directive emphasises that police leadership must remain informed from the initial stages of any investigation due to the serious nature of these incidents.
Recent arrests highlight concerns over facility breaches
Several high-profile cases have prompted the procedural changes, including an August incident at Troodos where unknown individuals illegally entered a sensitive facility by cutting wire fencing.
Two Greek Cypriots were arrested, initially suspected of attempting to steal copper from cables.
In June, during a military conflict between Israel and Iran, a 44-year-old Azerbaijani holding a British passport was arrested in Limassol.
Initially suspected of photographing RAF British Bases in Limassol and the “Andreas Papandreou” air base in Paphos, he now faces five charges in Limassol Criminal Court.
The charges against the man include espionage, publishing news concerning the Republic’s defence, illegal recording of images in prohibited areas, and money laundering from illegal activities.
