POLICE believe they have arrested a serial robber, dubbed the ‘sword bandit,’ suspected of robbing eight kiosks and bakeries in Limassol over the past nine days.
A court yesterday remanded the 24-year-old Limassol man, in custody for eight days.
“We believe the moments of anxiety, stress and agony experienced by our city’s public in recent days, are gone,” Limassol police director Andreas Koushioumis said.
He added that during questioning, the suspect had admitted a total of 11 offences, eight kiosk and bakery robberies and three others regarding theft and attempted robbery.
Police were led to his arrest after they found his car keys, left in the pocket of a jacket that was found in a plastic bag, which also contained a sword, a hood and a blue tracksuit.
Police said the sword, though not razor sharp, could inflict injury.
The bag was spotted by members of the public in an open space at the Ypsonas industrial estate.
A subsequent search of the suspect’s house turned up a sword sheath, around €700 in cash and an unspecified quantity of cannabis, police said.
Police said they are still looking for the replica of a pistol as well as the rest of the money stolen by the suspect during his short-lived crime spree, which totalled over €4,000
Last week, police arrested an Iranian man, 22, they thought was the ‘sword-bandit’ but let him go on Friday due to lack of evidence and no sign of a weapon, even though he appeared to fit the description and resembled the thief caught on security cameras.
This time however, authorities appeared certain they have the man involved in at least some of the cases – security camera footage clearly shows it is the same man — but are also investigating the possibility of him having accomplices or the existence of copycats not related to the suspect.
Police said there is a small number of cases where the perpetrator does not fit the description of the suspect.
Also, authorities have not ruled out the suspect taking responsibility for robberies he has not done in a bid to cover for someone else.
It is believed he started last Tuesday week, hitting two kiosks and a bakery in one night. Last Friday he held up a bakery in Ayios Athanasios, then two hours later made his way to a kiosk in Yermasoyia.In total the ‘sword-bandit’ made off with €2,995 in one week.
He struck again in Limassol late Sunday and early Monday, in two heists that netted him €1,100 in total. It is understood that he was behind another bakery robbery on Tuesday, a day before his arrest.
