Two more people were arrested in the early hours of Thursday in connection with police investigations into the bizarre criminal groups which has made headlines in recent weeks after using forged state seals and impersonating officials.

This brings the total number of arrests to five, with the latest arrestees a 45-year-old man and a 42-year-old woman, both of whom were expected to be brought to court later in the day for the issue of a remand order.

The police said the pair are suspected of having conspired to commit a crime, published false information, impersonated officials, issued threats, prepared and circulated a false document, and having participated in a criminal organisation.

They also confirmed that the group’s alleged ringleader, a 45-year-old man from Limassol named Costas Patsalides, is still at large.

Additionally, they reported that the 43-year-old woman who was among the first to be arrested had her remand renewed on Wednesday, and that the 62-year-old man who was arrested alongside her was examined by a government psychiatrist, who deemed it necessary to hospitalise him.

The third arrestee was a 72-year-old man who was apprehended on Wednesday. He is suspected of acting as an accessory after the fact – harbouring the wanted Patsalides.

Police sources had told the Cyprus Mail on Monday that around ten members of the public had come forward and reported to the police interactions with the group.

Speculation arose after media reports emerged last week that members of a “hierarchically” organised group of around 80 persons were posing as military officials, postmen and legal functionaries, while submitting documents bearing falsified seals of the Republic of Cyprus, using United States military insignia and pledging allegiance to the US flag.

The group presents itself on social media as the “Army of the Fourth Flag” according to a report in newspaper Phileleftheros, and reportedly “publicly reject adherence to regulations of the Republic of Cyprus”.

The newspaper added that those involved have fostered “a culture of intimidation”.

During the two initial arrestees’ court hearing last week, the 62-year-old reportedly claimed to be a US citizen “in a sense”, while also claiming ties to the US government and specifically to US President Donald Trump. Both he and the 43-year-old woman represented themselves in court.

“I am not a person, I am an entity,” he told the court.

The Cyprus Mail was also able to confirm that a proclamation or manifesto published in a local newspaper last year is almost certainly linked to the group in question.

In the proclamation, the signatories state that they have Cypriot nationality “in the nation of the Greeks of Cyprus, and not citizenship of the bankrupt private company called ‘The Republic of Cyprus Ltd’”.

Phileleftheros said CID has secured testimony corroborating that the suspects, and their wider group, espouse a philosophy identical or similar to the so-called ‘sovereign citizens movement’. These ‘sovereign citizens’ believe that courts have no jurisdiction over people and that certain procedures (such as writing specific phrases on bills they do not want to pay) and loopholes can make one immune to government laws and regulations.

CID is also said to have found that members of this group – including Patsalides and the 62-year-old in police custody – received monetary payments in exchange for their ‘services’ to people having financial difficulties such as non-performing loans or homes under repossession.

The amounts paid ranged from €50 to €750.

According to the daily, in some cases members of this group would present themselves as ‘federal functionaries’ appointed by the ‘Planetary Postmaster’. They explained their philosophy to distressed debtors and would use legal and military jargon to convince their ‘customers’ that they knew what they were doing.

Questioned by the CID, the 62-year-old said he was acting of his own free will together with the wanted Patsalides. They were acting “for the good of Cyprus”. He also said he had pledged allegiance to the American flag.

As for Patsalides, he reportedly has three unpaid warrants totaling €1,204 – pending since 2016. He is also the registered owner of 10 vehicles which have either been immobilised or for which the road tax is unpaid. He has been self-employed since August 2020 and does not pay into social insurance.

One member of the public told CID of her interactions with the group. She said she had a non-performing loan. Having been convinced by the 62-year-old that he could assist her, she sent out documents to various agencies and departments. The 62-year-old asked for €200. The woman paid him €130 in cash, with the other €70 being paid to the 43-year-old woman now in custody.

Another individual said he was approached by the group, but was not convinced by their spiel.