Two Larnaca police officers were suspended on Wednesday after a 23-year-old escaped custody while they were on duty.

The 23-year-old was arrested on Tuesday after a warrant was executed on allegations of him having robbed two betting shops and a kiosk.

It is not immediately clear how the man in custody – who was handcuffed – escaped, just hours after having been detained. A search to apprehend him is again underway, while officers are scouring CCTV footage.

The decision to suspend the two officers was made by police chief Stelios Papatheodorou after he received a report of the incident.

Larnaca police spokesman Charis Hadjiyiasemi explained that officers are now also questioning family members and relatives of the suspect.

Checks are also being made at the crossing points to the north, he added.