Published on: February 9, 2026, 04:03h.
Updated on: February 9, 2026, 04:03h.
- Disturbing torture videos discovered on suspect’s smartphones have stunned investigators in Cyprus.
- Criminal activity reportedly linked to a protection racket in the Pyla buffer area.
- Suspects apprehended following a shooting near the Larnaca police station.
Law enforcement in Cyprus has initiated a probe into a violent criminal organization after footage surfaced depicting the torture of seven individuals within a casino backroom, according to a report by The Cyprus Mail.
The disturbing footage, which investigators claim is among the most horrifying they have ever witnessed, was found on two smartphones belonging to a 48-year-old suspect arrested following a shooting incident on January 17 outside the Larnaca police department.
Authorities reported that the torture activities occurred inside a gambling facility located in Pyla, a village near Larnaca known for being inhabited by both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Pyla is situated within the United Nations buffer zone established in 1964 to mitigate intercommunal conflicts between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, coinciding with Turkey’s military occupation of the northern region in 1974, which further divided the island.
Due to the UN peacekeepers patrolling the area instead of conventional law-enforcement agencies, Pyla’s unique administrative status complicates the regulation of commercial enterprises. This has allowed unregulated gambling establishments and other illicit activities to thrive in and around the village.
Serious criminal offenses in Pyla often require collaboration between Cypriot authorities and UN officials due to the region’s divided governance.
The ‘Office from Hell’
Authorities disclosed that the recordings, made on various dates in 2025, depicted individuals confined in what has been described as “an office from hell” situated on the casino’s first floor.
Investigators noted that the footage portrayed victims being beaten, threatened with firearms and knives, and pressured into surrendering money or confessing to crimes.
In one clip, a man exhibiting facial swelling and head injuries is struck, spat on, and verbally abused, seemingly urinating during the ordeal. In another disturbing video, he is heard screaming as a knife is repeatedly pressed against his head while threats of mutilation are made.
Additional footage reveals a foreign national pleading for mercy as he is brutally beaten with a metal object, blood flowing from his nose before he succumbs to unconsciousness. One victim has a gun thrust into his mouth, and various clips showcase sharpened knives, slashed hands, belts used as whips, and individuals being kicked while begging for compassion. Notably, one man appears in 16 separate recordings taken in the same location.
Leader Identified as a ‘Notable Businessman’
Law enforcement has apprehended a 27-year-old individual connected to the torture case, and a 47-year-old man is also in custody. This older suspect, identified as “a notable businessman,” is believed to serve as the mastermind of the criminal organization, accused of collecting protection fees through violence and intimidation tactics.
A search is currently underway for a third individual, a foreign national, suspected of being involved in the torture as well as the January shooting incident.