A second arrest was made on Tuesday over the kidnapping and assault of a 24-year-old Turkish Cypriot man in Limassol, police said.

The arrested man is 45, with the police already having arrested a 30-year-old man early on Tuesday morning, while the police said that the two, as well as a third individual who is wanted, are Greek Cypriots.

According to police, the victim had said that at around 7pm on Friday, while he was in a park, three people approached him, and that following an argument, they had asked that he get into their car.

He said he was then taken to an unknown rural location, where he was stabbed in the right leg.

The three perpetrators then fled, while the victim was found by a passerby, who took him to the Limassol general hospital.

On Monday, Limassol police deputy operations chief Lefteris Kyriacou said that the perpetrators kidnapped the victim, and then “hit him and injured him with a knife”, as “they believed him to be a suspect regarding recent cases of dog thefts”.

He later added that the police are investigating “a case of kidnap and causing grievous bodily harm”, and that “developments are expected in the coming period”.

The police’s investigation into the matter is ongoing.

Twenty people were arrested during a police operation at an apartment complex in central Limassol on Tuesday for staying illegally in Cyprus.

The morning operation formed part of a large-scale campaign of checks in the city centre, police said.

The 20 individuals were taken into custody, while members of the Aliens and Immigration Service began procedures for their repatriation in cooperation with the deputy ministry of migration.

The fire service and local municipal authorities also took part in the operation.

Police on Monday cautioned about increasingly sophisticated online scams where criminals use artificial intelligence to mimic the faces and voices of loved ones and colleagues.

The warning is part of an Interpol campaign aimed at raising awareness of how deepfake technology can trick victims into transferring money or disclosing sensitive information.

Deepfakes are artificially generated or altered images, videos and audio recordings that can make it appear as though a real person is speaking or acting.

Scammers can create convincing imitations using even small amounts of material available online.

Fraudulent requests can manifest as video calls from impostors posing as colleagues seeking urgent bank transfers, phone calls from relatives in distress, or online acquaintances requesting financial help.

Police warn that these scams can be hard to spot, as the images and voices may seem authentic.

People are advised not to trust appearances, even if the caller appears familiar.

Police have urged the public to exercise caution when receiving unexpected calls, video calls, or messages soliciting money, passwords or personal information.

Warning signs to watch out for

Warning signs include pressure to act quickly, claims of emergencies, attempts to instil fear and requests for secrecy.

Suspicion should arise if unusual payment methods are insisted upon or if the sender discourages contact with others for verification.

The police recommend verifying the identity of anyone making a suspicious request before acting.

End the call and reach out to the supposed sender through a trusted number rather than using provided contact details.

Avoid sharing sensitive information and never transfer money without independent confirmation.

Businesses are encouraged to implement clear verification procedures for financial transactions, even when requests appear to come from trusted sources.

This initiative is part of a broader international campaign against cybercrime linked to artificial intelligence.

Under the slogan Wait. Validate. Don’t take the bait, Interpol urges people to pause and verify suspicious communications.

Anyone who suspects they have been targeted by a scam should contact authorities immediately and inform their bank if a payment has been made, to limit potential losses.

The key message is clear: a familiar face or voice is not proof of identity.