Drugs behind ugly beat-down in Ayia Napa

A suspected drug dealer who was arrested Thursday in Ayia Napa reportedly had locked two younger men in an apartment and gave them a beat-down for failing to pay up.

Two men, a 25-year-old from Burundi and a 20-year-old from Romania, were assaulted by their roommate, a 29-year-old Nigerian male, who kept beating them and abusing them for eleven straight hours inside their apartment in Ayia Napa.

Police arrested the Nigerian suspect after they were notified by a woman, who said the man from Burundi had managed to escape and told her to call the cops.

According to local media, the Nigerian male had locked the two men in the apartment and forced them to strip naked. He then proceeded to assault them by kicking and punching them in the face and all over the body.

When police arrived outside the apartment in question, around noon on Thursday, they spotted the man from Burundi who was badly bruised and bleeding. The Romanian male then came out of the apartment, also badly injured, with both men pointing to the Nigerian suspect as their attacker.

At that moment, the suspected drug dealer reportedly came out of the residence and managed to attack a police officer before getting arrested. Police said they found a knife and a metal rod in the suspect’s possession, while the two younger men accused the Nigerian of stealing their money and passports.

The man from Burundi said the suspect had stolen €1050 from him and also took his passport and demanded €1000 to give it back.

Police also suspected that the man from Burundi might have been staying in Cyprus illegally, with reports saying he has resided on the island unlawfully since August 2018.

The Romanian man said the Nigerian suspect had sold him marijuana on five different occasions.

Police said officers found three partially-smoked marijuana cigarettes and white powder believed to be cocaine during a home search with a warrant. The main suspect is facing multiple charges including aggravated assault, theft, and extortion.