The risks surrounding Wednesday’s raid targeting illegal migration had been fully assessed, though an element of unpredictability always remains, Larnaca police chief Ioannis Kapnoulas said on Thursday.

Speaking to the Cyprus Mail, Kapnoulas confirmed the identity of 45-year-old Christian Ndjondo from Congo, who died after jumping from a balcony at an apartment complex during the police operation. He was rushed to Larnaca general hospital and intubated but succumbed to his injuries on Wednesday night.

“All necessary measures are always taken and the risks are assessed. However, there is always an unpredictable element. I do not think anyone expects a person to suddenly decide to jump from the fourth or fifth floor, and I wonder how anyone could prevent such an act,” he said.

“The police do not enter apartments in order to avoid worst-case scenarios. However, every operation is evaluated afterwards. We identify mistakes that may have led to failures and best practices that contributed to success,” he added.

Kapnoulas reiterated that Wednesday’s raid formed part of a routine operation carried out jointly with the aliens and immigration service.

“Usually, officers from the aliens and migration service operate in plain clothes. However, to minimise risks, uniformed police officers also accompanied them and wore badges around their necks,” he said.

According to Kapnoulas, the operation began at around 9am on Wednesday, with officers inspecting various premises and apartment buildings. Nineteen people were arrested during the operation.

Police later attended the Filanta apartment complex near Larnaca port, where the fatal incident occurred.

“At the sight of the police and in an attempt to avoid inspection, three people jumped, according to our information, from the fourth or fifth floor and were taken to Larnaca general hospital,” he said.

Kapnoulas said police entered the building without a warrant because officers only accessed the common areas of the building and did not enter any apartments.

He added that the Filanta apartment complex had previously attracted the attention of local authorities following complaints and allegations by residents regarding the ghettoisation of foreigners in the area.

There have also been reports that the buildings were examined by the Larnaca district local government organisation (EOA) because they were considered potentially dangerous structures.

“Last night I spoke with the president of the Larnaca EOA, Angelos Hadjicharalambous, who told me this particular apartment building is currently under evaluation regarding dangerous structures,” Kapnoulas said.

He added that the identity of the deceased had initially not been verified despite what he described as “enormous efforts” by police.

“Unfortunately, despite questioning the arrested individuals who lived in the same apartment building, nobody was able to provide information regarding this specific person,” he said, adding that once the identification process was completed, authorities would be able to inform the man’s relatives.

The two other men involved in the incident reportedly sustained minor injuries and received treatment at Larnaca general hospital.

A similar incident occurred in Limassol in 2024, when 24-year-old Bangladeshi national Anisur Rahman died after jumping from a fifth-floor apartment while attempting to escape a police raid targeting illegal immigration.

Rahman reportedly tried to flee through the apartment window after police entered the flat where he had been residing.

In the same incident, another of the 11 men sharing the apartment jumped from a balcony and fell around 7.5 metres onto the balcony of a neighbouring flat. He survived the fall but was hospitalised in serious condition at Limassol general hospital.