Liverpool twins were targets of alleged Cyprus murder plot by Irish mob

The two British twins allegedly targeted in a Cyprus murder plot have been identified as Liverpool brothers Jamie and Aaron Small. The brothers, who had previously competed in MMA wrestling in Liverpool, were staying in the Famagusta area before leaving Cyprus, according to an international investigation. The two brothers were previously sentenced by Liverpool crown court for assault in 2016. Merseyside police have confirmed it is in contact with local authorities in Cyprus and is providing support because of the case’s links to the area. The alleged plot is being investigated after eight people from Ireland, Norway and Sweden were arrested in Cyprus. The arrests followed an international operation involving Danish, Swedish and Cypriot authorities and Europol. The operation reportedly began on August 10, when a user calling himself “Sponge Jobb” posted on the encrypted Signal messaging application seeking someone to carry out a murder in the EU. The profile offered 650,000 Danish kroner, or about €87,000, for the job. The alleged organiser later told a Danish police officer posing as a contract killer that there was “a job in Cyprus” involving two twins on holiday. The undercover officer was also sent photographs of the brothers, according to the investigation. Information provided to police reportedly included details of pistols and ammunition that had allegedly been secured from Turkey. The organiser claimed that someone in Cyprus would provide a pistol, motorcycle and accommodation and that local police had been bribed to stay away from the location where the killings were to take place. The Danish officer travelled to Cyprus on August 24 and was monitored by the police’s special branch in cooperation with Europol. He was directed to locations in Larnaca and Ayia Napa, where he collected money. Police later identified an Irish suspect from surveillance footage showing a man leaving money at a designated location. Investigators noticed that he was wearing the same black shorts and sliders as the man in the footage and had a distinctive tattoo. The suspect was subsequently seen meeting two Norwegian men at the Ayia Napa marina before the photograph of the twins was sent to the undercover officer. The first three suspects, an Irish national and two Norwegians, were arrested on August 27. Five Swedish nationals were later arrested after Swedish authorities alerted their Cypriot counterparts to a suspected perpetrator who had travelled to Cyprus. Europol informed Cyprus on September 4 about a 21-year-old Swedish man who had arrived the previous day and was considered by Swedish authorities to be involved in organised crime and possible executions. Police searches recovered a pistol, surgical masks, disposable gloves, mobile phones, batons and cash. Investigators also found footage showing guns and acts of violence, as well as material involving cannabis and substances resembling cocaine. The suspects have denied involvement or declined to answer questions, with the five Swedish suspects insisting they were in Cyprus purely on holiday. The Irish suspect is reported to have family ties to the McCarthy Dundon gang in Limerick, which has historical connections to the Kinahan organisation, yet he denies any illegal activity. The Irish Times, Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network, Norway’s VG and Swedish public broadcaster SVT reported that Irish security sources believe people with close ties to the Kinahan organisation may have been behind the alleged order. Irish and Scandinavian law enforcement sources told the Irish Times that larger criminal organisations have increasingly used smaller networks to carry out operations while reducing the exposure of their own members. Swedish police officer Theodor Smedius said that “our domestic criminal networks cooperate with other organised crime organisations throughout Europe”, but declined to comment on the alleged involvement of the Kinahan organisation. The two brothers’ whereabouts are not currently clear and the investigation into the alleged murder plot remains ongoing.