The Cyprus Police and the security and intelligence services of the Republic in general, do not focus only on guarding key points related to Israeli interests.
A source of «F» reports that at yesterday’s meeting coordinated by the Chief of Police, on the increase of security measures after the unprecedented attack by Hamas in Israel, directions were given for preventive actions concerning specific individuals.
According to the same source, these measures have to do with processing and collecting information on persons who have been previously employed by the Cypriot authorities for anti-Semitic behaviour/actions.
In other words, files with names and addresses are reopened and re-evaluated, while specific cases are put under the microscope, in order to exclude any possibility of a terrorist act against Israeli interests within the Republic of Cyprus.
At the moment there are such cases, which have already been dealt with by the Cyprus Police. As we are aware, a young person of Arab origin two years ago was placed on a terrorist suspect list on the basis of information obtained by the police.
The report said the young man «along with other compatriots, intends to throw Molotov cocktails at an Israeli restaurant» in a coastal town. He was «seen on video burning an Israeli flag.»
The person in question had been summoned by the Crime Detection Department of the district where he resided and had been questioned. He remained under surveillance.
Another person, who is in his third decade, was also placed under close surveillance two years ago by services dealing with the security of the Republic. There was «information about suspicious behavior» for him, while it was noted that he was a «political asylum seeker with extremist views». It added that, on the basis of the relevant information, «he may carry out a terrorist attack against Israelis».
It is noted that there is already a mechanism in place in general for monitoring such cases of suspected foreigners. As «F» had revealed last September (24/9), services/departments of the Republic participate in it.
The Cyprus Information Service, the Asylum Service, Police units such as the Aliens and Immigration Service (YAM), the Information Management and Analysis Service (YDAP) and the Office for Combating Terrorism have set up a network and exchanged information since 2019.
This information is recorded in a long list, evaluated and finally exploited. In addition, data of foreign persons are checked in international databases, such as that of Interpol, from which data are drawn.
The assessment of suspicious foreigners had also been officially confirmed by the Police to «F». As explained after our question, «since December 2019, a ‘Terrorist Suspected Aliens Assessment Team’ has been established, consisting of representatives of the Police services, chaired by the Assistant Chief for Crime Prevention and Combating Crime, which convenes at regular intervals and evaluates the available information before it, for cases of persons identified with suspicious indications and concerned by the involved parties Terrorism services.»