Two Norwegian nationals and one Irish national have been arrested in Cyprus over an alleged plot to murder twin brothers who were due to holiday on the island, after the suspects unknowingly hired an undercover police officer as their hitman.
The three travelled to Cyprus to meet the alleged assassin, whom they had found on the dark web. The man was in fact an undercover police officer who had travelled from Denmark to take part in the operation, led by the “Special Investigative Team” of Police Headquarters, known informally as “Cyprus’s FBI,” working in cooperation with Europol and authorities in several European countries. The operation ran for several days.
According to information obtained by philenews, efforts were made to locate the intended targets of the planned attack, both British nationals with criminal records, but this was not possible. Europol has since been informed and is carrying out checks to trace them. According to the information gathered so far, the pair had been holidaying in the government-controlled area of Famagusta a few weeks earlier and appeared to be planning to return to Cyprus.
Suspects believed to be group members, not masterminds
The three suspects, who are being held for eight days, have so far refused to speak, but are believed to be members of a criminal group rather than the masterminds behind the planned double killing. One of the Norwegian suspects has a criminal record in his home country, including convictions for threats and extortion, and is wanted there for weapons possession and threats offences. Police have requested information from Norway and Ireland on the criminal history of the other two suspects.
€85,000 offered for the killing
The criminal group had offered the “hitman” around €85,000, equivalent to 650,000 Danish kroner, to murder the two twins, the Famagusta District Court heard last Saturday. The Danish officer posing as the hitman communicated with the client via Signal and was given a ticket to travel from Copenhagen to Cyprus, arriving on August 24 along with a team of investigators from Denmark.
The three suspects arrived in Cyprus in the meantime to hand over an ammunition magazine, a motorcycle and cash. After placing money at various locations for the “hitman” to collect, they were placed under surveillance and arrested on August 27.
Investigation ongoing
Police are examining the suspects’ mobile phones and are also seeking CCTV footage in Ayia Napa, where the Irish suspect had been staying, and in Larnaca, where the two Norwegian suspects had been staying. According to sources close to the investigation, the motives behind the planned killings have not yet been established.
