Illegal restaurant shut in Paphos, four arrested

More than €20,000 in cash were seized during the raid of a restaurant in the old town of Paphos, which saw four people arrested on Sunday night.

The police said that 65 people were located inside the premises operating illegally.

The search resulted in the arrest of a 42-year-old man, who was allegedly managing the property and in possession of an offensive weapon.

“An iron fist and a sum of €3,000 were found and confiscated, for which no satisfactory explanation was given as to how they came into his possession,” police said in a statement.

Three other suspects, aged 45, 30 and 29, were arrested during the search after the police found large sums of money in their possession, amounting to €3,000, €12,810 and €5,000 respectively.

According to the police, documents relating to the premises later revealed that the restaurant was operating without the necessary certification or licences for selling alcohol or playing loud music.

The 63-year-old owner was subsequently charged in writing.