Three Turkish Cypriots Wanted Over Pakistani Man’s Death in Cyprus Buffer Zone

An arrest has been made, and three Turkish Cypriots are now wanted in connection with the death of a 24-year-old Pakistani man in the buffer zone in Cyprus. The individuals are suspected of involvement in migrant smuggling.

According to the Republic of Cyprus police, a 39-year-old Cameroonian national, Alain Martial Chanchu, was arrested earlier today at around 11 a.m.

The Turkish Cypriots being sought are 22-year-old Atilla Alaslan, 31-year-old Coşkun Alaslan, and 62-year-old Halil Alaslan. They are suspected of participating in human trafficking operations and may have played a role in the death of the Pakistani man.

The police have released photos of the suspects and are urging the public to share any information regarding their whereabouts. Anyone with information can contact the Nicosia Police Station at 22802222, visit the nearest police station, or call the citizens’ hotline at 1460.

The suspects face charges related to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, and aiding and facilitating illegal entry, transit, and residence in the Republic of Cyprus.

The incident occurred on January 6 in the Potamia area of the buffer zone. Investigators are still working to determine how the Pakistani man was fatally shot.

Initially, a state pathologist classified the death as accidental, despite a visible gunshot wound on the victim’s shoulder, ruling out foul play. However, further investigation revealed that the wound was caused by a gunshot, not a blunt-force injury, as first reported.

The state pathologist was subsequently suspended, and the man’s death was attributed to police action. A 9mm bullet wound was discovered in the victim’s shoulder blade, with ballistic tests confirming the bullet was fired from a standard-issue police firearm.

Despite this, the police association has denied the allegations, describing them as baseless.

Police spokesperson Kyriaki Lambrianidou, speaking to CyBC, said that efforts to locate the smugglers are ongoing and that the authorities are cooperating with Turkish Cypriot officials.

It is believed that one of the suspects was driving a vehicle that evaded police during the incident.

In a new development, Alphanews reported that earlier today, two of the three wanted Turkish Cypriots voluntarily presented themselves at a police station in northern Nicosia, claiming they had no connection to the case.