A 23-YEAR-OLD man has been arrested and a search is on for another two after they were linked to an attempted robbery of a serviceman and woman and an indecent assault on another on October 31.
The man, who has not been identified, is alleged to have indecently assaulted a woman in the scrubland of Curium, along with two other men, after she accepted an offer of a lift home from Erimi to Episkopi.
It is also alleged that the same man and his accomplices attempted to steal a purse from a servicewoman when they were giving her and a serviceman a lift home from Akrotiri strip to Episkopi Camp the same night.
The attempted robbery occurred when the men pulled up in the area of Apollon Sanctuary and tried to steal the woman’s purse, which contained a wallet, a mobile phone and a digital camera.
As a result of the two incidents, an investigation was initiated by the SBA police in co-operation with the Cyprus Joint Police Unit and local police. One of the men was subsequently identified and arrested on November 5.
The man’s vehicle is also believed to be the one used in the alleged incidents and police have searched his home within the SBAs and his family residence located within the Republic to gather further information.
The senior investigating officer, Detective Tommy Kouis said the investigation is going well thanks to the excellent work of all parties involved.
He said: “We have arrested a man believed to be linked to the alleged incidents and we have seized his vehicle. We are now focusing our efforts on catching the two other offenders.
“The co-operation between the SBA Police, Cyprus Police, the Special Investigations Branch and the joint police unit has, as always, been a huge success.”
And in a move to reassure the local communities within the SBAs, Detective Kouis continued: “Offences of this nature have a significant impact on the communities that we serve and therefore the prevention of these crimes and the detection of those involved in these offences remains one of the highest priorities for the SBA Police and other agencies.
“I would like to say however that the SBAs are considered to be a safe environment for people to live in, work and pass through. We are determined to maintain public tranquillity and I am very optimistic about the outcome of this investigation and it will send a strong message to all those concerned.”
