Two men arrested in an attempt to kidnap charges and Paphos district court give custody for 5 days. The two men are from Syria and living in Paphos.
The incident happened yesterday a private security guard in Paphos made a citizen’s arrest and told police he saw the suspects trying to abduct two boys.
Police said two residents aged 24 were in custody on Friday afternoon after a security guard alerted police to a possible attempted kidnapping of two children aged 7 and 13.
Media reports said the alleged incident took place in a northern Paphos area, near a private kindergarten serving the Chloraka and Lemba communities, where local authorities recently beefed up security and increased neighbourhood watch programmes.
the security guard became aware of a vehicle coming to a stop near the boys, who were on their bicycles, alleging that one of the suspects attempted to exit the vehicle.
“He was trying to snatch them,” the guard reportedly told police.
During Saturday’s court hearing, the two suspects denied having any intention to abduct the boys.
The suspects, who are facing multiple charges including attempted kidnapping, denied the charges, telling the judge the man behind the wheel was a potential car buyer on a test drive.
But the security guard, who filed the repot with police, said he yelled at them as soon as he noticed the car had come to a stop, at which time the boys went away but the men remained in the area.
According to local media, another security guard had inquired about the suspicious vehicle, with eyewitnesses telling him they had seen the same vehicle driven previously in the area.
The official report said a guard was in the school garden when he heard a boy yelling, around 4:15 pm. He then saw two boys on their bikes and a car idling nearby with the front-seat passenger door open. It was not clear in the report whether the boy was yelling at the suspects or trying to get the guard’s attention.
After the two boys left the area, the guard with the help of another individual -presumably another private security- spotted the vehicle in the school parking lot, according to police.
“When he asked some young ladies about the vehicle in question, they told him that ‘he has been going around for days harassing girls and young children,” Reporter wrote.
Police said a knife was found inside the vehicle along with car keys to three different vehicles, with both suspects facing attempted kidnapping, conspiracy felony, illegal knife possession, and possible theft charges.
The two boys are expected to give depositions in the presence of their parents or legal guardians as well as social workers assigned to the case.
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