Police have confirmed that a third vehicle involved in a recent alleged migrant smuggling incident in Potamia was found with a bullet hole, as investigations reveal new details about an alleged trafficking network led by a Pakistani national known as Ali.
A 37-year-old Iranian suspect appeared before the Nicosia District Court yesterday, where investigators disclosed that a 39-year-old Cameroonian in custody had changed his account regarding the death of Pakistani national Khan Shoaib.
The Cameroonian now states he discovered Shoaib was dead approximately four minutes after fleeing the scene, contradicting his earlier claim that the victim was alive when left on Calypso Street.
Chief Inspector Yiannos Yiannakou of Nicosia CID told the court that police received written intelligence on January 17 about a Pakistan-based smuggling ring operating from occupied Nicosia.
The Cameroonian suspect has admitted to working for the network since October 2024, receiving instructions from a Pakistani man identified as Ali.
Police are currently seeking four suspects: three Turkish Cypriots from the same family and 27-year-old Pakistani national Rawais Khan, also known as Ali.
It remains unclear why an arrest warrant has not been issued for a fourth Turkish Cypriot suspect who was detained in the occupied areas while attempting to leave by ship with a bullet-damaged pickup truck and had confessed to involvement in the incident.
The investigation has revealed bullet holes in three vehicles: a rental KIA, a pickup truck found in the occupied areas, and a Honda Fit recently recovered in Limassol.
Police confirmed four shots were fired during the operation, with four shell casings recovered at the scene. An independent criminal investigator has been appointed to oversee the investigation.
The Iranian suspect, who is married to a Cypriot and has one child, was remanded in custody for eight days despite objections from his lawyers, Evangelos Himonas and Cleopatra Khattab.
The incident occurred near the buffer zone near Potamia on January 6. Initial police reports indicated the shooting occurred while officers attempted to stop a vehicle believed to be involved in a smuggling operation. However, forensic findings suggesting the man was shot in the back have raised questions and contradicted the initial police account.
Moreover, an initial autopsy of the man’s body ruled out foul play. A second autopsy, performed a few days later, found a 9mm bullet lodged in the man’s back. State coroner Dr Nicolas Charalambous who performed the fist autopsy has been suspended.
