POLICE HAVE launched a criminal investigation into a member of the police anti-poaching unit for allegedly being in possession of dozens of black caps, the protected species of birds known locally as ambelopoulia.

According to police spokesman Michalis Katsounotos, the officer in question was already being investigated for allegations of domestic violence. During the course of that investigation, on March 6, his wife told police that the anti-poaching officer was also in possession of 70 to 80 ambelopoulia.

Following a search of a fridge at the officer’s home, police found a bag of dead birds which they sent to a Game Fund official at the Larnaca district office who confirmed they were the protected ‘black caps’ species.

The officer is claiming that his wife put them there to frame him, as part of a wider dispute between the married couple. Apart from the domestic violence investigation, police have also launched a criminal investigation into the alleged poaching of the protected birds.

However, due to the allegations and counter-allegations, the police leadership has not deemed it necessary at this point to suspend the officer in question.

A representative of the conservation group BirdLife told the Cyprus Mail that they were “shocked and disappointed” to see that someone involved with enforcing bird protection law is being accused of breaking that law.

“It shows how intractable the poaching issue is in Cyprus,” they said.