Cameroonian arrested, three Turkish Cypriots wanted for the smuggling of Pakistani national shoot by police in the south: Turkish Cypriots deny involvement

Police in south Cyprus on Wednesday announced the arrest of a Cameroon national and also released information on three Turkish Cypriots, alleged to be people smugglers, who are wanted in the ongoing investigation into the case which lead to the fatal shooting of a 24-year-old Pakistani national in Potamia.

The arrested man has been named as Alain Martial Tchantchou, 39, from Cameroon. The man was arrested around 11am on Wednesday January 15 while hiding in a basement in Aglantzia.

Alain was tracked down after he took the rental car, which had allegedly rammed a police vehicle, to a repair shop. He was later identified through CCTV footage in the Aglantzia area.

The Turkish Cypriot men, who are still on the run, have been identified as Atilla Alaslan, 22, Coskun Alaslan, 31, and Halil Alaslan, 62. 

Police have published their photos and are asking for any member of the public with information to contact the Nicosia police station.

The suspects are wanted for offenses related to attempted murder, conspiracy to commit a felony, and aiding and abetting illegal entry, transit and residence in the territory of the Republic.

Meanwhile. two of the three Turkish Cypriot farmers denied allegations of their involvement in the incident, claiming they are being targeted due to past conflicts with Cyprus Police.

Halil Alaslan, 62, and his son Coskun Alaslan told Gıynık newspaper they voluntarily reported to Demirhan (Trachoni) Police Station after learning about the allegations through social media.

“I was spraying pesticides when my son informed me about this. We immediately contacted our police,” said Halil Alaslan, adding that the Republic of Cyprus police’s allegations were unfounded.

Coskun Alaslan said the accusations stemmed from a 2012 dispute with Greek Cypriot police. “They are prejudiced against me and constantly trying to tarnish my name using past incidents as an excuse,” he said.

The pair called for “authorities” in north Cyprus to clear their names and threatened legal action over the allegations, which they say they only learned about through social media.

The incident occurred near the buffer zone near Potamia on January 6. Initial Cyprus Police reports indicated the shooting took place while officers attempted to stop a vehicle believed to be involved in a smuggling operation. However, forensic findings suggesting the Pakistani man was shot in the back have contradicted the initial police account.

Moreover, an initial autopsy of the man’s body ruled out foul play. A second autopsy, performed a few days later, found a bullet lodged in the man’s back. State coroner Dr Nicolas Charalambous who performed the fist autopsy has been suspended.

The victim’s body was found in a car parking in Strovolos, around 20 km away from Potamia. Questions remain on how it ended up there.