Police in Paphos are actively pursuing leads to identify the perpetrators behind Tuesday night’s attack on a public prosecutor’s car.

The investigation is focusing on closed-circuit surveillance systems to secure potential witness testimonies.

The incident saw a state prosecutor’s car set on fire in Paphos. The car was completely destroyed. It was the second attack against a legal service staffer in a span of a few weeks, which also prompted her colleagues to go on a work stoppage on Wednesday.

Paphos police spokesperson Michalis Nicolaou told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) that officers are examining CCTV footage collected from petrol stations located close to the victim’s house.

However, he also added that so far, all examinations have not yielded any conclusive evidence.

According to the CNA, the police raid on the central prisons that took place in the early hours of Thursday was carried out to conduct searches in the cells of convicts suspected of having links to the recent criminal activities in Paphos.

The attack was widely condemned by attorney-general George Savvides, who also met Justice Minister Marios Hartsiotis and the chief of police in Paphos to discuss the incident.

“This was a brazen, criminal attack against a colleague that shakes the foundations of the state,” Savvides told the media. “There is no more room for tolerance.”

Paphos mayor Phedonas Phedonos also said he is “concerned about the recent surge in criminal activities over the past 25 days in Paphos”.

Phedonos urged the justice minister and the police chief to explore ways to address the issues in Paphos, including the recruitment of personnel.

“What we are reaping now is the absence of will and a real policy to tackle drugs and crime,” he said.