Police in Larnaca are attempting to locate a 23-year-old man who escaped from custody on Tuesday night.

The man, a Syrian national, was arrested earlier in the day as a suspect in a spate of burglaries and theft. His name is Ahmad Frija and police described him as approximately 1.75 metres tall, of slim build, with black hair.

Police said he had managed to escape from CID offices at around 7.30pm. He was wearing khaki trousers and a black jacket at the time.

Police spokesperson Christos Andreou said an internal investigation is underway to determine how the man managed to escape custody.

“The situation is not yet clear,” he told the Cyprus News Agency. “Once the full picture is clear, decisions will have to be made.”

Andreou confirmed that the man was not handcuffed when he arrived at the CID offices.