Two remanded over plot to kill UK twins in Cyprus, six deported

Local britainmurder attemptTop Newstrial Two remanded over plot to kill UK twins in Cyprus, six deported 0 Bhr Lec 090926 Cyprus (1) Relevant News Two remanded over plot to kill UK twins in Cyprus, six deported 17 September 2026 Building a year-round future for Cyprus tourism 17 September 2026 Power cuts hit parts of Nicosia and Larnaca, EAC crews on site 17 September 2026 newsroom 17 September 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber A Norwegian and an Irishman, aged 33 and 35, have been remanded in custody ahead of their trial, after being referred for direct trial last Monday before the Famagusta Permanent Criminal Court, which is set to sit on November 18. Famagusta District Court in Paralimni ruled on the custody decision on Thursday (September 17). The two are accused of involvement in an alleged plot to murder British twin brothers Jamie and Aaron Small, who were on holiday in the Famagusta free area over the summer. Six other people arrested in connection with the case, one Norwegian and five Swedes, have since been deported from Cyprus, in a case that drew international attention. They face a serious set of charges, including conspiracy to murder, conspiracy to commit a felony and participation in a criminal organisation. The case began to unravel when the criminal group “hooked” a hitman via the dark web, who turned out to be an undercover Danish police officer. On August 10, a user going by the name “Sponge Jobb,” using a SpongeBob SquarePants profile picture, contacted him via Signal seeking a hitman. The fee on offer was around €85,000, equivalent to 650,000 Danish kroner. Danish police had been monitoring the group, and an undercover officer responded to the message, posing as a paid killer. Sponge Jobb told him the job would take place in Cyprus, and that the targets were the British twins holidaying on the island. The Danish officer arrived in Cyprus on August 24. His movements were tracked by Cyprus Police’s Special Investigation Unit, known as Cyprus’s FBI, working with Europol. Via Signal, the undercover officer was instructed to go to various locations to collect money. On August 27, following an operation, two Norwegians and one Irishman were arrested; a few days later, five Swedes were also arrested in Paphos, after information linked them to the criminal group. Sources within Irish security services believe the order to kill the British twins came from figures involved in organised crime abroad with close ties to Ireland’s Kinahan cartel. Smaller criminal networks in Ireland and Sweden are reported to have been recruited to carry out the plan, according to an investigation by the Irish Times, in cooperation with the Cyprus Investigative Reporting Network (CIRN), Norwegian newspaper VG and Swedish public broadcaster SVT. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Building a year-round future for Cyprus tourism Power cuts hit parts of Nicosia and Larnaca, EAC crews on site Turkish defence ministry warns US arms decision for Cyprus threatens “sensitive balances” Transport Ministry reports vandalism, misbehaviour on school buses, appeals to parents West Nile virus cases in Cyprus rise to 14, as respiratory infections stay low Most Nicosia mosquito complaints trace back to the reporting home itself Cyprus begins mapping high-risk medical procedures after minister’s orders Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.