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The investigation into the Azerbaijani national arrested in Limassol last week on terrorism and espionage charges has taken a new turn, as authorities in both Cyprus and Greece explore possible links between his case and the arrest of another Azerbaijani man in Crete.
As previously reported, the suspect in Cyprus, a man of Azerbaijani origin carrying a British passport, was arrested on June 21 in a coordinated police operation. He had been staying in a luxury flat in Zakaki, where authorities discovered photographs of the British bases in Akrotiri and the Andreas Papandreou air base, along with other suspicious material.
What’s new is that Greek police, working with the country’s national intelligence service (EYP), arrested another Azerbaijani, this time in Chania, Crete. That suspect, a 26-year-old with a Polish passport, was reportedly caught photographing military installations in Souda, including warship movements. A camera, laptop, phone, and USB stick were seized.
Shared clues point to bigger picture
Law enforcement agencies in Cyprus and Greece are now in close coordination, examining whether the two suspects are connected. Both are Azerbaijani nationals using Western passports. Both were allegedly photographing military targets. And both are suspected of ties to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), though the Cypriot detainee denies the accusations.
The similarities between the two cases are “too significant to ignore,” a security source told 24news. Investigators are now looking at travel records, communication data, and digital evidence to determine whether these are isolated incidents, or part of a broader espionage network operating in the Eastern Mediterranean.
The man arrested in Cyprus has been in the country since around April, according to police, and his movements are being closely traced. For now, he remains in custody and faces charges including terrorism, espionage, and conspiracy to commit a felony.
Cyprus under the microscope
The development comes at a time when Cyprus’s strategic position, hosting both British sovereign bases and serving as a key NATO-adjacent outpost, has made it a hotspot for intelligence activity.
While the case is being handled with discretion, officials have acknowledged the national security implications. The presence of foreign operatives, possibly acting on behalf of hostile states, has pushed Cyprus to tighten cooperation with regional partners and allies.
The coming days are expected to bring more clarity as digital forensics and cross-border intelligence sharing progress.
