A 38-year-old Nicosia resident was arrested for 17 cases of car theft and damage carried out in the capital and Larnaca, police said on Sunday.

The suspect was spotted driving in Lakatamia on Saturday night at around 10:40pm and was found to have a pending arrest warrant.

Sixteen of the cases were carried out between Friday night and the early hours of Saturday in Lakatamia, police said.

All 16 cases were reported on Saturday morning after vehicle owners found their vehicle windows smashed. In three of the incidents, money and other items were stolen from the cars.

One of the targets was from a car sale office owner, and 30 vehicle keys were taken from inside his car.

In another case, cash was stolen from the vehicle and in another, perfume.

After a tip off, police setup an operation to track down the suspect and spotted him on Saturday night in Lakatamia. He was arrested on a warrant for a similar case issued on January 22.

A total of 36 car keys were seized from his car, six pairs of sunglasses, three watches and a tool to break glass.

He was rearrested for illegal possession of property that does not belong to him.