Greek Cypriot priest detained briefly in the north

Four people detained Tuesday afternoon by Turkish Cypriot authorities in connection with an alleged theft of a piece of church stone with archeological value.

According to media reports, four Greek Cypriots including a priest were detained in the north as they were attempting to cross into the south at the Dhekelia checkpoint in Larnaca.

Turkish Cypriot officers, who inspected the men’s car, discovered a large church stone bearing the image of a cross in the trunk of the vehicle. The priest had told them it was a piece of rock from his village in Vokolida, but officials maintained that the stone was of archaeological value and was stolen from a church in the north.

The four men were initially taken to a police station for questioning, while it was not immediately clear if any charges were filed against them. They were all released following their detention and returned to the south on the same day.