Pontian held for spate of kiosk robberies

By George Psyllides

A PONTIAN Greek was arrested yesterday in connection with four kiosk robberies and church burglaries.

Twenty-three-year-old Spyridon Triantafyllides, alias Garig, from Georgia was arrested yesterday after another suspect said he had taken part in kiosk robberies in Nicosia and Larnaca, and church burglaries in the Paphos district. He had already been arrested and released last week.

A second man from Russia, Maxim Mirnyi, 23, who is already in custody, is expected to be charged in connection with the same offences.

The two men were named by 28-year-old Igor Guiourjiev from Russia, who is also in police custody.

Guiourjiev had been initially arrested for illegal residence. He was released last Friday but immediately re-arrested as a suspect for the robberies and burglaries.

Police now believe they have in their hands the gang responsible for a spate of kiosk robberies and church lootings.

“We believe it is the gang which operated everywhere on the island,” said Paphos CID chief Danil Makariou.

Makariou added that the suspects had admitted to robbing four kiosks and looting seven churches, as well as to several house burglaries.

The rest of the gang, along with Mirnyi, were arrested in Kato Paphos last Thursday after police intercepted their car for a search.

Police arrested passengers George Theodorides, 28, from Georgia, Givi Lobzhanidze, 22, also from Georgia, and 17-year-old Pontian George Popides from Paphos.

As soon as their car was stopped, one of the suspects was seen throwing an object out of the window, which later proved to be a syringe and a small bottle allegedly containing drugs.

Police searched the car and found unknown pills and various tools, which they believe were used in burglaries.

According to police reports, the same car the suspects were using that day had been spotted in the past near churches that had been looted.

The five were remanded for eight days last Friday, while Triantafyllides, who had also been arrested in connection with the case was released. He was rearrested yesterday.

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