Police have arrested a 27-year-old suspect for the abduction of 23-year-old two days ago in Paphos, authorities announced on Friday.

According to police, the 27-year-old was found after 4pm on Thursday, following the 23-year-old’s testimony, who told officers that at around 5.45pm on Wednesday, four men of apparent African origin approached him outside a pizza place and asked him to join him for a drink.

The 23-year-old refused, since he did not know them, and attempted to leave the premises when the four men immobilised him, shoved him into a car, stole his wallet and after beating him up let him walk away shortly after.

Police also placed the victim of the abduction under arrest for illegal stay in the Republic.

Paphos police spokesman Michalis Nicolaou told the Cyprus News Agency that at 5:45pm on Wednesday, police received an anonymous tip that a man had been beaten up and shoved into a vehicle by four men in Chlorakas.

Police said that they were informed about the licence plate numbers of the car, and that they began to search for it.

At the scene, police cordoned it off and took some evidence, which included a shoe and a mobile phone, which are believed to belong to the victim or the assailants.

Police said that during their investigations they found that the car is registered to a man not in Paphos, who he told police he sold to a Greek Cypriot through a website.

The vehicle was later found to belong to the 27-year-old suspect, as the previous owner sold it to him through a website, but the paperwork for transferring ownership had not been completed.

Later, police found the vehicle parked outside an apartment building in Tremithousa.

The car is being kept at the Paphos police station for investigations.

Authorities are still searching for five other suspects in the case.