Police get a push in their crackdown on organised crime

Police are making headway in the war on drugs and organised crime, following the arrest of shooting suspect in custody Elias Mouzos while also receiving harsh criticism from the mayor of Paphos who says police let gangsters run his town.

Mouzos, a 38-year-old drug lord known to authorities, is reportedly cooperating with police following his arrest on Tuesday. He admitted to firing shots at two officers in Limassol’s Ypsonas last weekend, which effectively resulted to cops thwarting a murder attempt in the criminal underworld.

Police, who also arrested Mouzos’ girlfriend but later released her, were able to obtain his cooperation in trying to solve other crimes, including a kidnapping case in January and shots fired outside a house in February. Both cases had to do with a rival of Mouzos, as the two men were apparently fighting for turf within the Paphos illicit drug market.

Mouzos was blaming the 28-year-old man for his business going down, reportedly cutting into his Paphos illicit drug network worth €200,000. He had fired shots outside the younger man’s residence and was identified by police, although he evaded capture for months.

Accidental shooting leads to more arrests

But his arrest last week, which was described by police as accidental after an off duty cop alerted his colleagues on a suspicious vehicle, changed the life course for the known drug lord.

After Mouzos gave more information to police, investigators located a military rifle Kalashnikov AK-47, a loaded handgun, 100 grams of the semtex explosive substance, six detonators, one primer, a piece of flame retardant rope, and 77 cartridges.

Police also arrested two Greek Cypriot suspects in connection with illegal possession of drugs, explosives, steroids, and poacher traps.

Paphos mayor says police let crime slide

The new police activity against illegal drugs and organised also came just days after Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos accused cops of not doing enough to arrest Mouzos sooner.

The mayor alleged that some cops are rubbing shoulders with criminals in his town.

Police are denying the allegations, saying they act professionally and within the boundaries of the law.

But Phedonos, a well known whistle blower in Cyprus, is not backing down and says that even the name of the person who makes bombs for the criminal underworld is known to police.