A 38-YEAR-OLD Bulgarian woman who was working as a cleaner in Paralimni is wanted by police in connection with the theft of jewellery and electrical appliances, worth an estimated €7,000, from a family home where she was working.The woman had been working there for the past five months, but the owner only realised the items were missing on Wednesday.According to the Larnaca News Agency, when the owner confronted the 38-year-old, she fled. Larnaca police spokesman George Economou yesterday said the case was being investigated, though police feel she may have already left the country... 9 comments

POLICE are investigating the theft of €10,000 from the apartment of French footballer, Guillaume Brenner of the Larnaca team Alki on Monday night.The footballer noticed the money was gone after he returned to the apartment, in the centre of Larnaca, after a night out with his team mates that evening. It had been in a bag in his bedroom. Apparently the money was a bonus in cheque form that he had cashed.According to police, the thieves managed to get in by removing the lock on the apartment’s front door.CID officers also dusted for prints in an effort to locate the thieves... 3 comments

A 38-year-old man was arrested yesterday in connection with stealing €123,000 worth of takings from the supermarket Carrefour on Monday morning in Nicosia.According to police, a security firm employee was transporting the takings to the bank to deposit them when he stopped at a kiosk. However when he came out of the kiosk he realised that the passenger seat window of the car was smashed and four out of the five bags with the takings had been stolen.Police sources said they have a witness testimony that the suspect somewhere in the Strovolos area handed the money over to someone who was getting into a car at the time... 3 comments

THIS STORY started quite romantically with me wondering what treasures you would find at a scrap metal dealer. Would there be long forgotten aluminium pots, a relic of a classic car, or tiny, old lead soldiers? “You couldn’t make much out. It was all a pile of junk and there was this huge claw reaching out, grabbing stuff and squishing it,” said Christos Theodorides, the Sunday Mail’s photographer when I asked whether I should have gone with him to photograph a scrap metal merchant at work... 3 comments

CUSTOMERS at a Larnaca bakery accidentally foiled a theft yesterday after they scared away a would-be-robber.The robber, thought to be aged between 20 and 25 years, walked into the bakery at 2:15am with his face covered with a mask and holding a knife. As he was attempting to get whatever money was in the till, a number of customers walked in and he ran away “without managing to steal anything,” the police said... Read on

POLICE have called on building contractors to take greater precautionary measures against theft following an increase in the number of items stolen from construction sites. According to police, more and more construction items like cables, copper pipes and iron, as well as machines are being reported stolen from construction sites.  One of the measures suggested by police is for all involved (architects, contractors and subcontractors) to coordinate their work so as to reduce to a minimum the chances of theft. For example, installing electricity, heating, water and climate control items can be done after putting doors and windows in the building.  ... 4 comments

TWO ROBBERS on a motorcycle made off with around €5,500 after targeting one of Cyprus’ best known archaeological sites, the ancient Curium Amphitheatre, yesterday. According to the state broadcaster, the two, both wearing helmets, approached the kiosk of the archaeological park in the Limassol district at closing time. As the cashier was counting the proceeds of ticket sales one of the perpetrators asked to buy a ticket. He then used a metal item to break the large window of the kiosk, taking between €5,000 and €5,500 in cash which had piled up during the Easter period when the banks were closed.The two then made off without a trace, leaving the cashier in shock. Police from the British bases are investigating.  ... 3 comments

TWO MEN were arrested after explosives were stolen under the noses of the National Guard (NG) during a controlled destruction of obsolete munitions at Kalo Chorio firing range yesterday. During the scheduled destruction of obsolete munitions at around 10am, officials discovered that explosives placed on site by a National Guard explosives expert had gone missing. The army placed small amounts of TNT explosives in 42 separate pits at the firing range, each one containing obsolete munitions used for the Bofors anti-aircraft 40mm gun. According to a defence ministry source, around 1.4kg of TNT was stolen from one of the 42 pits some time after the explosives expert placed the TNT at the pit and before its supposed detonation. ... 6 comments

 A WHEELCHAIR-BOUND 83-year-old woman, underwear stuffed with jewellery, was arrested, along with three others for allegedly trying to smuggle stolen goods out of the country late on Thursday.Three Armenian women, including the 83-year-old, and a Cypriot man, 41, were yesterday remanded for five days by the Larnaca District Court.When she appeared in court yesterday, the 83-year-old grandmother had seemingly abandoned the use of the wheelchair and walked into the courthouse on her own.  The four are being investigated for allegedly committing a felony, theft and the illegal possession of property... 10 comments

TWO men robbed a Limassol bakery in the early hours of yesterday, making away with €200.The men had covered their faces with hoodies. One waited at the exit while the other told the bakery employee in Greek: “[It’s a] robbery. Give me your money”.The 39-year-old employee gave him what money was in the till... Read on