Cyprus Police appeal for public to be vigilant

Police are warning the public to be vigilant after reporting that a former convict had threatened police with an army-issued assault rifle before escaping on foot in Limassol.
According to police spokesperson Nikoletta Tyrimou, 63-year-old Andreas Onoufriou is armed, dangerous and currently on the loose despite having only recently being released from prison.
“Acting on information that the individual was in possession of firearms, officers were dispatched to his apartment. He had opened the door, fired his gun into the air before then escaping on foot.”
He was last spotted in the NAFI area of Limassol.
Police are warning members of the public to be especially cautious as he is said to be armed and dangerous and most likely still in possession of the G-3 assault rifle.
Those with any information as to Onoufriou’s whereabouts are advised to contact police on 1460 or 25 805511.
Onoufriou’s criminal activities in the past have made him well-known throughout Cyprus.
Back in 1998, Onoufriou was jailed for 18 years for the attempted murder of a judge and his daughter.
Limassol judge Michalis Mavronicolas and his five-year-old daughter at the time suffered injuries after the bomb detonated beneath his car. The Criminal Court at the time had heard that their lives were spared “by sheer luck”.
The court had also heard how the intended victim had previously presided over a debt-settling dispute in which Onoufriou was involved.
Last year, Onoufriou and two other men were arrested on suspicion of plotting to assassinate former attorney general Petros Clerides using a disposable light anti-tank weapon. The charges were later dropped due to lack of evidence.

Cyprus Weekly