Foreign national arrested for series of theft found to be living in north Cyprus without a resident permit

A serial theft who reportedly broke into several business premises in Lefkosia has been remanded in police custody until trial.

The suspect, identified as AA, a Turkmenistan national was arrested and brought to court Saturday January 4 on charges of  "Breaking and Entering, Theft, and Trespassing".

Police officer who testified in court said on December 3, 2024, the accused unlawfully entered the Rakı Müren business premises on Gelibolu Street in Lefkosa, without the owner’s consent, through an unidentified entry point. 

While inside the business premises, he stole the following items: an Orionpos cash register, three Redmi smartphones, three bottles of 18-year-old Chivas Regal (70cl), one bottle of Black Label (70cl), one bottle of Red Label (70cl), one bottle of Greenall gin (70cl), one bottle of 18-year-old Johnnie Walker (70cl) and a tip box shaped like a white house containing 9,260 TL.

Furthermore, on December 12, 2024, the suspect allegedly entered the "Kemja" café on Atatürk Avenue in Lefkosa by opening the west-facing aluminum glass window without causing damage and entering the customers’ seating area. He then proceeded to open the west-facing electronic door hinges without damage and entered the premises. 

He then stole the following items stole: a plastic Nescafe cup worth 7 TL, seven handmade necklaces and seven bracelets worth a total of 2,000 TL.

Analyzing security camera footage, the police launched an investigation into the thefts which led to the identification and arrest of the suspect.

During the search of the suspect’s residence, some of the stolen bracelets from the café were recovered. Additionally, forensic examination revealed that fingerprints taken from the café matched those of the suspect.

The police also determined that the suspect had been living illegally in the country since December 29, 2023. The authorities requested his continued detention pending trial.

The judge ordered the accused to be held in custody for a period not exceeding two months.