organised crime — Limassol is currently on high alert as a resurgence of organised crime unfolds following a brutal attack that left a businessman critically injured. The violence erupted around 7:00 pm on Saturday, 20 December, when a 36-year-old businessman was ambushed by three assailants while seated outside a café on Anexartisias Street.
In a calculated and ruthless act, the attackers employed electric stun guns to incapacitate the victim before inflicting a knife wound to his shoulder blade. The businessman remains in critical condition and is currently intubated in the Intensive Care Unit of a private hospital. Medical professionals have described his situation as grave but stable.
This violent incident appears to have sparked a swift cycle of retaliation within the city. At approximately 1:40 am on Monday, two masked individuals targeted a barbershop located on the same street, shattering the glass storefront with rocks and ransacking the interior. The barbershop is owned by 30-year-old Mohamad Tleis, a Lebanese national who is now wanted by police in connection with the Saturday evening attack.
Assistant Police Chief Lefteris Kyriakou confirmed that investigators have identified a probable link between the attempted murder and the subsequent vandalism at Tleis’s barbershop. Both the victim and Tleis are known to law enforcement for their previous involvement in serious criminal activities. Authorities believe that the underlying issues may stem from disputes related to drug trafficking and illegal protection rackets.
“We have intensified police presence and patrols in the area to prevent further escalation,” Kyriakou stated. He noted that while 24-hour guards have been deployed at specific sites temporarily, the permanent protection of private property remains a challenge.
The barbershop has a troubling history of violence, having previously been the site of a 2020 shooting that resulted in severe injuries to a young man. Detectives are currently reviewing extensive CCTV footage and forensic evidence to track down the remaining two attackers involved in the ambush, amid concerns that Tleis may attempt to evade law enforcement by fleeing into areas controlled by the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
