Police in Limassol arrested a 39-year-old man suspected of setting fire to an abandoned house in town early Wednesday morning, where seven Syrian nationals were reportedly housed.

According to a statement, around 1 am, police received reports of a fight in a Limassol area. Patrols arrived to find seven people restraining the suspect.

The individuals informed officers that while sleeping in a room of the abandoned building, they noticed a fire at the door, which was spreading to clothing and footwear. They extinguished it using water.

Later, they saw the 39-year-old mocking them from the sidewalk in front of the building. They claimed he had threatened to set fire to the place two days earlier if they didn’t pay rent for their stay.

The suspect was immobilised by the individuals and arrested upon police arrival. He was taken to the nearest police station.

It was determined that the fire was deliberately set using flammable material, causing damage to the door and part of the building’s wall.