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Authorities in Larnaca were alerted to a weapons trafficking operation taking place in a cemetery in the Oroklini area, prompting a swift police response.
Following an intelligence tip-off, police set up surveillance at the cemetery to verify the report. On Monday, May 20, at noon, officers observed two individuals acting suspiciously. One person approached a specific grave while the other kept watch.
Police moved in and arrested the first suspect, a 46-year-old man, who was found carrying a bag containing ten boxes of pistol bullets, several cartridges, a pistol, and a hunting rifle. The second individual, a 35-year-old man, was also detained at the scene.
Both suspects, identified as Greek Cypriots, were known to the police but had no prior convictions. They were brought before the Larnaca District Court, which ordered their detention for eight days.
Weapons cache discovered in grave
During a subsequent search of the grave, police uncovered a significant arsenal: a military rifle, an anti-tank weapon, two projectiles, three propellant projectiles, a package of cartridges, an improvised explosive device (IED) with a high-powered explosive, a quantity of high-powered explosive material, a pistol, and two silencers.
"This is one of the largest hauls we've found," said police spokesman Christos Andreou. "The investigation is ongoing to determine if there are additional weapons caches."
Prosecutors believe they thwarted an imminent criminal act. The IED, which was connected to a mobile phone, was ready for use, indicating a potential attack in the coming days or hours.
All recovered items will undergo scientific examination at the Ministry of Education’s laboratories to ascertain if they were used in past criminal activities. Authorities are also investigating the origins of the weapons, with a focus on whether they were smuggled from the occupied areas of Cyprus.
[With information sourced from 24 News]
