THE POLICE ARE ORGANISED — NEW ‘BPH’ ESPECIALLY FOR ORGANISED CRIME — Filenews 22/11

The Police Intelligence Service becomes independent and separates itself from the YKAN, in order to deal with a wide range of information ranging from organized crime to hooligans.

This Service, in cooperation with the Cyprus Police Service, as stated yesterday in Parliament by the Minister of Justice and Public Order, Anna Koukkidis – Prokopiou, will deal with crime prevention and collect information not only on drug issues, but also on organized crime, violence in stadiums, organized fans and the issue of poaching. That can generate millions in revenue for organized crime, he said. «All of this comes under a new framework, recognizing that police intelligence gathering has to move into different areas. We cannot rely on the BPH, whose role is different, as the intelligence service of the state. And within these new circumstances they will have to adapt and I believe that 2024 will be the year where, in addition to independence at an organizational level, we will place great emphasis both as a Ministry and as a Police on the new role of the Intelligence Service,» the minister said.

Koukides-Prokopiou also said that the underworld in Cyprus has been mapped, as to where it operates and who constitutes it. «Organized crime pre-existed, exists and will exist in all EU countries,» the minister said, pointing out that «it is a discussion we have every time in the EU Council of Ministers, on ways to tackle organized crime, on how organized crime generates revenue and the fact that it is almost always one step ahead of the authorities. Because they are now using technology, cryptocurrencies, new ways of transporting drugs.»

Briefing MPs during the presentation of her ministry’s budget, Koukkides-Prokopiou also referred to court rulings referring to crimes planned by prisons. «Yes, there were crimes organized from inside the prisons according to court rulings. It is serious, which is why the police have to go to prison for many reasons. There is now a different approach to this issue than before.»

The Minister of Justice also referred to the issue of mobile phones in prisons, saying that since we do not have a system for deactivating mobile phones, the prison administration began intensive checks to locate mobile phones inside prisons, in order to prevent the organization of crimes. «Our approach as a Ministry is that, when there is information and warrants, the police must enter prisons and the necessary checks must be made,» the minister said during the meeting, responding to a question by DISY MP Haris Georgiadis, who referred to worrying reports linking criminal activities with prisons.

Regarding the issue of the system for deactivating mobile phones in prisons, the minister said that she has been challenged by the Legal Service. «We felt that this particular provider could not meet everything provided for in the agreement we had with it,» he explained, adding that steps are being taken by the transport ministry to find a new system. «This will take time, it is not an easy task,» he said, noting that this is why there are many more checks inside prisons to locate mobile phones.

The minister also said that an anti-drone system will be received early next year, which will also be applied in prisons and other services. At the same time, Ms. Koukkides-Prokopiou told the Parliament:

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In prison eventually the minors

Despite the fact that the initial decision was that minors sentenced to imprisonment would enter a place outside prison, eventually, the solution of prisons is being studied, even temporarily, until another place is found.

As Justice Minister Anna Koukkidi-Prokopiou said yesterday in Parliament, the amendment of the legislation is being studied in order to allow juvenile offenders to be detained in places within prisons. She said the goal is to open the bids in 2024 and to award the project for the creation of a juvenile detention facility. As Koukkidi-Prokopiou explained, with the amendment of the legislation, which has already been forwarded to the Legal Service, the Ministry requests that the limit of application of the law be extended until the creation of the special area for the detention of minors, so that minors can be accommodated in a landscaped area within the prisons. He explained that «in case there is a minor who should be detained in a prison area, we will make the necessary arrangements so that the minors do not come into contact with adults.» He also reminded that in addition to the Central Prisons, prisons can also be declared detention centers, where some juvenile offenders could perhaps be held under certain circumstances.

Chief of Police: Crime has changed form

On his part, and in response to questions from MPs, the Chief of Police, Stelios Papatheodorou, said, among other things, that there are currently no ongoing investigations on the issue of phone tapping or the export of software systems. He referred to crime in Cyprus which, as he observed, changed form from burglaries to financial fraud and cybercrime.

Regarding the photo-labelling system, he said that it has helped reduce serious and fatal accidents, admitting problems with camera operators that were highlighted and most of them corrected. On migration, Papatheodorou referred to efforts to repatriate irregular migrants, which this year reached 8,385, the highest number ever recorded.

On the reduction of guards of personalities, the chief said that in 2020 there was an evaluation and their number decreased, adding that now the number of police officers guarding political figures or state officials is not large.

Three projects were cut

Three major projects planned for 2024 were eventually cut by the finance ministry. These are the construction of the new building for the State Archives, the construction of a helipad in the Solea area and the building for the housing of witnesses under protection that is planned to take place in Mennoya. Especially about the building where witnesses will be placed under protection, a lot had been said, since until today they are housed in inappropriate places with many problems.