Police arrest serial Ayia Napa hotel thief

POLICE are trying to pin down the identity of a man arrested in connection with over 40 break-ins in hotel rooms in Ayia Napa.

The suspect, who claims to be 42 years old and from Lebanon, led police to his hide-out – a building site in Nicosia – where a large number of valuables were found.

But the police have serious reservations over the suspect’s identity, while they are also investigating the possibility of fake identity forgery.

The man was arrested on Thursday afternoon and remanded in custody by Famagusta District Court yesterday for six days.

Yiannos Stavroulas, the deputy chief of Famagusta Police, said there were a large number of break-ins and robberies that were under investigation.

“Until this moment, he has admitted to more than 40 break-ins and robberies,” Stavroulas said yesterday. “A large amount of property was found, which the suspect himself has admitted to be part of the stolen goods, such as mobile phones, electrical goods, jewellery and break-in equipment.”

However, the police are concerned about the suspect’s identity. “He states that he is a Lebanese man, who has been living in Cyprus for the past nine to 10 years, but we have so far found no evidence on his real personal details and this put us in doubt over whether he has given has his true identity,” Stavroulas explained.

Information obtained by police suggests the man has been residing illegally in Cyprus since 1999.

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