Larnaca police are on high alert after four vehicles were set on fire and shots were fired at a car yard on Pyla coastal road in the early hours of Thursday.
This marks the fourth serious criminal act pointing to organised crime recorded in just one month in Larnaca.
Previous incidents included two attempted murders in Pyla and Dromolaxia and shots fired at a vehicle in Oroklini. Police are now investigating whether some of these criminal acts are connected, according to authoritative sources.
The fire at the car yard was noticed at 4:00 in the morning. Two people in a car were seen approaching the area, according to police. After dousing some vehicles with flammable material, they set them on fire and disappeared into the darkness.
The security guard at the premises reported hearing several gunshots, though no injuries occurred. Two fire engines rushed to the scene and extinguished the fire before it spread to other vehicles. The blaze caused extensive damage to the front sections of four vehicles.
Closed-circuit television footage was retrieved from the area showing the movements of the perpetrators, who had covered faces. However, police are seeking evidence from other CCTV systems in the area to trace the perpetrators’ escape route.
On 8 August, shots were fired at a 25-year-old woman’s vehicle in Oroklini, believed to be a message to her partner, who is known to authorities. On 31 July at 11:00 in the morning, an attempted murder was committed targeting a 47-year-old man in Dromolaxia Industrial Area, whilst on 14 July another attempted murder targeted a 49-year-old man, who was wounded in the leg by gunfire.
