Larnaca abductor says he did it for money

Crime investigators are revisiting the ransom scenario in the Larnaca abduction of two school boys, with the suspect claiming he did it for money despite lack of evidence pointing in that direction.

Yiorgos “George” Nicolaou, a 35-year-old web designer from Nicosia, is currently the sole suspect in the case where two 11-year-olds were kidnapped Tuesday morning from Larnaca’s Kamares public elementary school.

When police arrived at the apartment, the suspect reportedly questioned why they were knocking on his door since the description of a suspect referred to an older male. But when they realised they were at the right place, they detained the man who reportedly did not resist arrest.

The boys were found in another room lying in bed, drugged and unaware of their surroundings, with one of them reportedly mumbling a few words.

Nicolaou, who was remanded for eight days, admitted to the kidnapping telling a Larnaca on Wednesday he was in financial trouble and planned to ask for ransom. Knews understands he had made similar statements to police during his arrest, according to local media reports.

But police previously said there had been no demands whatsoever during the nearly right hours of the boys’ disappearance. Investigators were also waiting for telecommunications data for possible evidence while a number of computers in the apartment have also been confiscated.

Nicolaou is currently facing multiple charges including kidnapping, abduction intended for false imprisonment, public intoxication, and wrongful imprisonment. [Kathimerini Cyprus]