Teen remanded over €72,950 burglary in Kornos

A 17-year-old appeared before the Larnaca court on Monday in connection with a house burglary in Kornos during which €72,950 and two hunting shotguns were stolen.

The court ordered the teenager be remanded for seven days.

Court proceedings were held behind closed doors as the suspect is a minor, the police said.

During questioning, the suspect allegedly admitted committing the offence and named two other individuals, who are being sought as alleged accomplices.

Police said the teenager claimed that after the burglary, they went to an animal farm in Aradippou, where they buried the two shotguns and a safe containing the cash.

The suspect is reported to have indicated the location of the farm to investigators who subsequently recovered the two hunting firearms and the safe containing €72,950, which were taken into police custody.

The case came to light following a complaint filed at around 2.30am on Monday by the 46-year-old homeowner.

He told police that between 10.50pm on Sunday and 2.25am on Monday, his house had been broken into and a grey metal gun cabinet measuring 160cm by 40cm and weighing approximately 50kg had been stolen.

The cabinet contained two double-barrel hunting shotguns.

The man also reported that the cabinet held a sum of money as well as a white metal safe measuring 50cm by 25cm, which also contained cash.

Police officers examined the scene and, as part of the investigation, secured an arrest warrant against the 17-year-old, who was later arrested and taken into custody.

Investigations are still at an early stage, police said, noting that only a short time has elapsed since the suspect’s arrest and that significant investigative work remains outstanding.

Further steps are expected to include taking statements from the suspect’s family and wider social circle, obtaining a formal statement from the suspect and collecting forensic evidence for comparison with evidence recovered from the scene.

Arrest warrants have been issued for the two additional suspects.