Police in Thessaloniki have arrested two men of Georgian descent, both 28 years old, in connection with the murder of Cypriot businessman and Karmiotissa FC president Stavros Demosthenous in Limassol. The arrests were made on Thursday by the Northern Greece Organized Crime Division under European arrest warrants issued by Cyprus.
The Murder in Limassol
Demosthenous, 49, was shot dead outside his home in Limassol on the morning of October 17, around 09:00. The perpetrators appeared to know his routine and had set up an ambush. According to Cyprus Police, two attackers arrived in a stolen van and opened fire as Demosthenous stepped outside. His son tried to rush him to hospital, but he died en route. During the attempt, their car collided with other vehicles on the highway, initially causing confusion over where the shooting occurred.
The suspects fled the scene, setting the van on fire a few kilometres away. Authorities launched a large-scale manhunt, suspecting professional hitmen operating under a paid contract.
The two detainees are expected to appear before a court in Greece, after which, if the extradition request to Cyprus is approved, a team from the Limassol Criminal Investigation Department (CID) will travel to Thessaloniki to take them into custody and escort them to Cyprus to face proceedings before the Cypriot courts.
Cyprus Court Developments
Meanwhile, in Limassol, a 30-year-old inmate from the Central Prisons, already serving a sentence, appeared again before the District Court on Thursday as a suspect in the same case. His lawyer did not object to an eight-day extension of his detention, which the court approved.
According to testimony presented in court, the convict is implicated through what police described as the “motorcycle chain.” Another 30-year-old suspect currently in custody allegedly purchased a motorcycle on his behalf. Police evidence suggests the inmate had persistently asked the man from Nicosia to locate a motorcycle for him, offering payment in return. The man reportedly found one and shared the exact location with the inmate via mobile message, but the motorcycle was later found by police, derailing the plan.
A dispute followed between the two men, after which they allegedly agreed to buy another motorcycle from a 45-year-old former footballer. During the meeting at the seller’s house, attended by two other suspects, aged 30 and 58, they reportedly made a video call to the inmate to confirm the purchase. The suspect later claimed he left the bike at a prearranged spot, and when he returned the next day, it was gone.
A second testimony presented to the court also claimed that the inmate had contacted another person, offering money in exchange for finding and delivering a motorcycle to a specific district.
Police continue to examine whether the murder was a targeted hit ordered by criminal networks with connections both in Cyprus and abroad.