Crime wave hits the south-east with levels of robbery surging
POLICE are investigating a series of house burglaries across the south-east which is thought to have netted crooks tens of thousands of euros in cash and goods.
The Sunday Mail can reveal that break-ins in Ayia Napa, Ayia Thekla, Protaras and Paralimni have risen sharply, with police calling on residents to take additional security measures this summer.
Despite Cyprus’ reputation as a safe place, property crimes are skyrocketing with the statistics this year expected to dwarf the 2,587 reported break-ins in 2008.
One resident of Ayia Napa told the Sunday Mail of her heartbreak after she returned from walking her dogs on Friday to discover burglars had made off with a safe containing cash and valuable watches.
“I know about the robberies, but you never think it will be you do you? All in all I’ve lost £8,000; I did not even notice they had been in the house. Apparently they got through the window, took the safe and even closed the window behind them. I only discovered a few hours later that I had been robbed,” she said.
“The police took fingerprints but did not look optimistic about catching the thieves,” she added.
Her tale matches that of numerous other victims who have been robbed of money, laptops, mobile phones TVs and personal items such as passports.
One resident, who wished to remain nameless, pointed the finger at local police for not nipping the crime wave in the bud.
“More burglaries mean it is vital they get more police on the beat. We never see policemen walking the streets, let alone patrol cars in Ayia Thekla. The only time they come is when they have to take a report from a distraught resident that’s been robbed,” he said.
In the past week four homes in Ayia Thekla were burgled, while a house in near Ayia Napa and another in Protaras were also targeted late last week.
It’s expected that many short term residents, who only visit during the summer months, will arrive to find they have also been the target of crooks.
Ayia Napa police Chief George Economou admitted that local police were facing a problem, but said things were not worse than any other year.
“Crime always increases in the summer; I can’t say it is any worse this year actually. We suspect many of these crimes have been committed by young people who have been in Ayia Napa for the weekend and then rob a few houses on their way home, they usually take just cash and jewellery,” he said.
Police say crooks are on the lookout for unlocked doors and open windows, with some reports suggesting thieves are casing homes and villas by pretending to deliver leaflets and pamphlets.
Former police officer Chris Mooney, who runs the Larnaca-based security company BBQ Plus, said simple steps could have prevented a large number of all such break-ins.
“People are much more complacent here than they are in the UK; much of the crime is committed by opportunists. Simple measures such as window locks could prevent burglars getting in and they don’t cost a great deal to install,” he said.
More worrying for police is that burglars are not just targeting homes. Last week a couple in a rented holiday villa in Protaras were robbed of £4,000, their wedding rings and clothes just days before their dream wedding.
In addition to burglaries, last year saw 1405 cases of serious theft reported, with an additional 1955 cases of minor theft showing on the official police statistics.
CHECK LIST
By following this checklist gives people can give themselves a better chance of not becoming a victim of domestic crime:
Keep external doors locked at all times especially at night
Check that all downstairs windows are closed at night
Keep laptops and handbags out of sight
Report any suspicious activity immediately, especially at night
Do not leave car keys easily accessible
Be aware of who is about in your road
Keep a list of serial numbers of things like laptops, cameras etc and mark them with your postcode
Keep an eye on vulnerable and elderly neighbours/tourists
Report anyone trying to sell items that could have been stolen
Take registration numbers of suspicious vehicles and report them immediately.
