Cyprus Police Announces New Measures to Combat Organized Crime

Authorities in the Republic of Cyprus have announced the immediate implementation of measures to combat organized crime and violence in stadiums. Some of these measures are classified.

Steps to address crime were determined following a meeting at the Ministry of Justice and Public Order, in collaboration with the police.

The main measures include: increasing the number of police officers on the front lines, enhancing police activities through the deployment of foot and motorized patrols in cities and suburbs, including static checks; strengthening the police information and analysis department and the unit investigating economic crimes, as well as intensifying financial investigations to identify and confiscate proceeds from illegal activities.

It is noted that additional measures have been decided upon, which "for security and operational efficiency reasons cannot be disclosed."

Regarding violence in stadiums, the following decisions were made:

• Strengthening law enforcement measures during games and conducting thorough checks of all individuals entering sports venues. For this purpose, the police will be able to determine the arrival time of fans for specific matches.

• Scrutinizing the activities of fan associations throughout Cyprus and issuing closure orders where necessary.

• In cases where the safe conduct of a match is in question, the police may recommend not holding or stopping the game.

Additionally, the Ministry of Justice and Public Order has proposed an amendment to the relevant legislation in the House of Representatives. This amendment includes the installation of monitoring systems at every sports facility used for Category A matches, regardless of capacity, and granting the police the authority to test fans for alcohol and drugs.

Furthermore, stricter control of fan cards will be implemented with police involvement, and the duration of a court-imposed ban on attending sporting events may be extended to 10 years.