Prisoner escapes from Lakatamia police detention center

A 19-year-old Syrian man escaped from the Lakatamia police detention center in the Nicosia district on the evening of Friday, September 25, 2026. The escape was discovered by authorities during a routine head count of prisoners, which immediately triggered a widespread police alarm and an intensive manhunt across the Lakatamia area and its surroundings.

Police forces have established roadblocks and are currently conducting an extensive search operation to locate and recapture the individual. While the suspect remains at large, authorities have requested public assistance in providing any information that could aid the investigation. The exact circumstances and the specific security failures that allowed the 19-year-old to break free remain unknown at this time.

Official investigations are currently underway to determine how the prisoner managed to bypass security measures and successfully flee the facility. Police are continuing to patrol the wider region, with authorities expected to conduct a comprehensive review of the security protocols at the Lakatamia facility following this incident.