Three arrested for abduction and threats

Police on Wednesday said they have arrested three men, aged 42, 50 and 35, on suspicion of abducting a Limassol resident and threatening him for money earlier this month in Nicosia.

But the two older suspects, together with a 40-year-old man, had earlier reported the complainant of threatening them with a knife.

The case that led to their arrest was reported by the 24-year-old Limassol resident on Monday night. He told police that a few days ago he met with the three suspects who tried to extort a large sum of money using false representations.

He alleged that the younger suspect confined him in a house in the Nicosia district until the transfer of the money was completed.

But the 24-year-old man managed to escape, cancel the money transfer and return home.

Since then, he has allegedly been receiving threats from these persons to hand over the amount of money in question.

On Monday morning, the three, together with a fourth person approached the 24-year-old who was walking with his 59-year-old mother on a specific road in Nicosia. He told police that the 50-year-old man allegedly grabbed the woman’s bag and threatened him with a knife.

The 24-year-old also brandished a knife, according to the police announcement, after which the attackers fled, leaving the bag on the floor.

However, €1,000 was missing from the bag.

After the incident, the 50-year-old man and the 42-year-old man, as well as a 40-year-old Nicosia resident visited a police station saying the 24-year-old threatened them with a knife.

The two men aged 50 and 42, together with the 35-year-old suspect were arrested on Tuesday as part of the police investigations after the complaint of the 24-year-old.

The three are being investigated for felony, attempted property theft by false representations, kidnapping, threats, theft, and carrying a knife.