Man arrested at Larnaca airport for alleged multi-million vehicle fraud

A 37-year-old Greek Cypriot man was arrested at Larnaca International Airport in the early hours of Thursday, August 6, 2026, following his extradition from the United Kingdom. The suspect is under investigation for 20 cases of theft, obtaining property by false pretenses, and money laundering, allegedly committed between 2022 and 2023 in Limassol and Nicosia.

Authorities claim the suspect posed as a car importer to defraud citizens, either by collecting deposits for vehicles that were never delivered or by taking vehicles from owners to sell without remitting the proceeds. The total value of the defrauded money and misappropriated vehicles is estimated at €827,400. It is reported that the number of actual complainants may be higher than the 20 currently recorded cases.

The suspect has a prior criminal record, having served a four-year prison sentence for his involvement in a major 2020 drug trafficking case involving 645 kilograms of MDMA hidden in charcoal grills. He had previously been granted protected witness status in that case. Following his recent arrest, he appeared before the Limassol District Court without legal representation and did not oppose the police request for his detention. The court issued an eight-day remand order, and the Limassol Criminal Investigation Department is continuing its investigation.