Police probe gangland link to Larnaca murder

Police are pursuing several leads after a man without a criminal record was gunned down mob style in Larnaca, with investigators paying close attention to the victim’s family connections to ongoing drug wars in the southern town.

Investigators say 53-year-old Greek Cypriot Andreas Evangelou, who was killed Tuesday night in the parking garage of his building in Larnaca, had been shot from behind while sitting in his vehicle with two other men who were unharmed in the incident.

Reports said a gunman approached the vehicle from the back and fired multiple times killing Evangelou, who was in the car with two men described as European workers under his employ.

Local media said the two employees ducked for cover during the shooting incident, with state forensic examiners saying the victim was shot once in the head at ear level, while he also took a bullet in the arm and four in the back.

The case shocked the southern town following reports that Evangelou did not have a criminal record, with police saying they were still in the dark about the motive.

Revenge and witness intimidation in the mix

But media speculation outlined three main scenarios being considered by investigators, namely revenge, intimidation, and professional disputes.

Reports said Evangelou’s son and daughter had been offered police protection following the death of his son-in-law, Marios “Mariouthkias” Georgiou who was gunned down in April after being released from prison where he had entered the witness protection program.

Additional reports said Evangelou’s son had recently testified for the prosecution in an ongoing drug case, while investigators were also looking into the victim’s occupation as a contractor but appeared to have ruled out any threats or disputes.

No suspects have been identified in Tuesday’s shooting but police said they had video footage showing two suspects on a scooter, who had staked out the area while the gunman’s actions were caught on camera as he fired the shots.

Police said they located the two workers who ran away after the shooting, saying they were not subjects within the scope of the investigation.