A 38-year-old man suspected of committing car theft and arson was arrested at Paphos airport in the early hours of Tuesday morning while trying to leave the country.

The man was caught by police at the airport’s passport control at around 2am and was attempting to return to his country of origin.

According to police, the man rented a car from a vehicle rental company on November 6, but failed to return it on November 15 when the rental contract was up.

The company contacted the police on November 17, and police found the car in the Kato Paphos car park two days later. The interior had been damaged by a fire which police concluded had been started intentionally.

Additionally, the vehicle had impact damage on its front left side and was scratched on its rear left side.

Paphos police are continuing their investigation into the matter.