Cyprus' underworld no longer plays by the rules

Organized crime now operates without fear or restraint. The murder of businessman and sports official Stavros Demosthenous in Limassol on the morning of Friday, Oct. 17, makes that painfully clear.

According to Kathimerini reporter Elizabeth Gerogiou, the attack happened around 9:30 a.m., about 500 meters from Demosthenous’s home. He was sitting in the passenger seat while his 18-year-old son drove when a van that was leading them slowed, opened its doors, and the attackers opened fire. Police sources say the assault was professional, carried out with “military” precision and clear premeditation, a display of raw criminal power, and what appears to be a paid contract killing.

The killers struck calmly in daylight, in a residential area and in front of a family member. That shift, from night to day, from shadows to the street, shows how organized crime’s patterns are changing.

“Until a few years ago, hit jobs were planned to limit exposure and avoid collateral damage,” former Deputy Police Chief Christos Mavris told KNEWS. But that’s changing, and not as a theory. A string of violent cases over the past decade sketches out how these gangs have become more brazen.

He pointed to several turning points: the 2012 five-person slaying in Ayia Napa, when bodyguards and associates of Fanos Kalopsidiotis were shot dead in a tourist area; the 2016 murder of Kalopsidiotis himself in a restaurant alongside three others; and the 2023 execution of Thanos Kalogeropoulos along the Amathus coastal road in front of passersby. In 2024, gunmen shot at Dimitris Andronikou, known as “Dimitroui”, while he was moving on a busy Anthoupoli street; security cameras captured the attack frame by frame. Other attempts, some in front of children or in busy avenues, followed or preceded these incidents.

Mavris says organized crime has “mutated.” New players are involved, more groups operate simultaneously, and the field of activity has broadened. “In the past, criminal groups were mainly Cypriot. Today non-Cypriots are involved, and they bring different cultures and methods,” he said. That, he believes, helps explain executions in full view of the public and the abandonment of the old “rules.”

He warned that the change is worrying. “I’m not surprised by these developments, but I am concerned because the situation is getting out of control. Old nighttime rules were never absolute; there were always breaches, but at least there was an effort to avoid innocent victims.”

Limassol: growth...and danger

Once a symbol of strong economic growth and outward investment, Limassol has also become a focal point for rising crime. Public executions, car arson, and targeted attacks are fueling fear and insecurity that affect the wider community. “Limassol may be a target because of its wealth and busy nightlife. That all contributes to more crime,” Mavris said. “A city with intense night activity is always more vulnerable.”

Local groups that spoke with KNEWS say people need to feel safe in their city and in their shops if outsiders are to feel safe investing there. They also call for more patrols to tackle criminality at every level.

“Organized crime in Cyprus has changed face and tempo,” Mavris said. “It’s no longer hidden; it’s ostentatious. Police need to actively target these groups and become their shadow. Only then will it be harder for them to move.”