Three men arrested in Cyprus allegedly planned to murder two foreign nationals who were due to arrive on the island for holidays in the coming days, according to information obtained by philenews from police sources.
The suspects, one Irish national and two Norwegians, appeared before Famagusta District Court in Paralimni for remand proceedings.
Police sources told philenews that the intended targets were two foreign nationals who had planned holidays in the government-controlled area of Famagusta district and were expected to arrive in Cyprus within days.
The three suspects are not believed to have been the masterminds behind the alleged plot. According to the same information, they searched online for someone to carry out the killings but instead contacted an undercover Danish police officer.
Danish police have for some time used undercover officers in operations aimed at preventing killings in the country. Once the officer realised that the alleged murders were being planned for Cyprus, he informed the Danish authorities and Europol, which in turn alerted Cyprus Police.
Danish police officers also travelled to Cyprus and worked alongside Cyprus Police as part of the investigation.
The coordinated investigation and assessment of information and evidence led to the issue of court warrants and a police operation in Larnaca and Famagusta districts.
“The operation highlights the importance of speed, operational readiness and international cooperation in tackling new forms of serious and organised crime,” Cyprus Police said in a statement.
Police added that it “continues to strengthen its cooperation with Europol and European law enforcement authorities, with the aim of preventing and effectively tackling organised crime”.
The investigation is continuing by a special investigative team from Police Headquarters in cooperation with the relevant European authorities.
All three suspects have previously come to the attention of authorities in their home countries in connection with various cases.
