Police conduct nationwide operation against organized crime and arrest two minors for motorcycle theft

Cypriot authorities executed a major nationwide operation codenamed 'Plegma' on November 5, 2026, aimed at dismantling organized crime and drug trafficking networks. Led by the newly established Directorate for Combating Organized Crime (DAOE), the operation resulted in 26 arrests across Nicosia, Limassol, Larnaca, Famagusta, and the Central Prisons. Police conducted 27 searches, seizing firearms, ammunition, explosives, mobile phones, and over €25,000 in cash. The investigation, which began in February 2026 following a drug seizure in Nicosia, also led to the freezing of assets worth approximately €500,000, including properties and vehicles.

In a separate incident in Paphos, police arrested two 15-year-olds who confessed to stealing two motorcycles from the Karavellas area. The theft was discovered after an officer spotted the damaged, unregistered bikes parked at a primary school in Anavargos where the teenagers were visiting. Additionally, a 69-year-old man was arrested in Peyia after arriving at a police station while heavily intoxicated to answer a nuisance complaint. The Ministry of Justice has expressed full support for the police's intensified efforts to combat crime, confirming that operations will continue to protect the public and dismantle criminal structures.