Newsroom
A police patrol van being used in foot-and-mouth disease monitoring operations in the Larnaca district was stolen early Sunday morning, triggering a brief pursuit and an ongoing police investigation.
Authorities said the van-type service vehicle had been parked at a designated location around 1 a.m. when an unknown man boarded it and drove away under circumstances that are still being examined. The vehicle had recently been deployed as part of increased patrols linked to measures aimed at preventing the spread of the livestock disease.
According to police information, the officer assigned to the vehicle witnessed the suspect taking the van and immediately gave chase using a private car while an alert was issued to the Larnaca Police Department.
The pursuit began in the Aradippou area and ended a short time later in a dead-end street in Larnaca, near the entrance of an apartment building. The suspect abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot, managing to escape before officers could apprehend him.
The stolen patrol van was recovered, while investigators continue efforts to identify the suspect and determine his motives. Police described the incident as unusual and said inquiries are ongoing.
