Iranian man arrested on return to north Cyprus for robbing a jewelry store of over one million Turkish Lira 5 years ago

A man who was being searched for, for robbing a jewelry store of over one million Turkish Lira in 2019 has been identified and arrested more than five years since the incident.

The suspect JB, an Iranian national who was involved in a jewelry store robbery in Girne in 2019, was arrested on March 5, 2025, when it was discovered that he had entered the country on a tourist visa. 

He was brought to court following his arrest on charges of mutilation, robbery, aggravated assault, and carrying a weapon.

The police revealed that the suspect and his accomplice, one MN, also an Iranian entered the Senak Gold&Diamond jewelry store in Girne on June 6, 2019, as customers. They went behind the store’s responsible person, G.E.A., who was also the owner's wife, and mugged her by covering her mouth with their hands, strangling her with tape around her neck, and physically assaulting her. The suspects then stole 872 pieces of jewelry worth 1,989,000 TL and escaped with the loot.

At first, the suspects' identities could not be determined, and they managed to escape through Ercan Airport. Later, the stolen items were discovered buried in various spots near Famagusta Port. Once their identities were identified, they were placed on the wanted list.

The police reported that JB was arrested on March 5, 2025, when he entered North Cyprus through Ercan Airport and was detained as per a court order.

The police explained that during the investigation, the suspect had claimed that he was not in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) at the time of the crime, that he had been imprisoned for drug-related offenses in Iran, and that he had never been to North Cyprus before. However, after analyzing the fingerprints, entry footage, and crime scene images, including footage of his escape, it was confirmed that the suspect was indeed the person seen in the images.

On March 11, 2025, the victim, G.E.A., recognized the suspect after seeing his image in the news. A forensic report from the PGM Visual Inspection Branch confirmed that the person in the footage from the crime scene matched JB's appearance.

The police stated that the suspect’s crimes carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and because he entered the country on a tourist visa, they requested he be held in custody while awaiting trial.

After considering the evidence, the judge ordered that the suspect be held in custody for no more than 75 days.