Two men, aged 49 years old and 47 years old, were arrested on suspicion of illegally holding fundraising events, the Paphos police said on Monday.

The pair stand accused of having recruited “a number of women” who “collected monetary contributions from the public”, either by way of going door to door to ask for donations or by doing so in public places.

This, the police said, was carried out between 2022 and 2025 “on a nationwide basis”, and “in exchange for various types of publications, such as diaries and fairytales … allegedly for the benefit of various charitable organisations and institutions”.

As such, the pair now stand accused of obtaining money by false pretences, preparing and circulating forged documents, conducting fundraising events without a permit, and money laundering.

The police carried out a search of their homes, with “various documents” having been seized as evidence.

The 49-year-old was arrested on Sunday and is expected to appear in court on Monday.

The 47-year-old was arrested on May 22 and initially remanded in custody for seven days the following day, before having that remand renewed on May 30.