Philenews

Call for National Council Intervention as Cyprus 'Loses to the Underworld'

Published January 21, 2026, 09:20
Call for National Council Intervention as Cyprus 'Loses to the Underworld'

The article urges the involvement of the National Council in tackling organized crime in Cyprus, following statements by a police representative acknowledging the force's defeat against the underworld. Unionist Nikos Loizidis accuses the police leadership of inaction and incompetence, emphasizing that the situation has escalated in recent years. The article criticizes the lack of strategic planning and operational readiness within the police force, as well as attempts to cover up serious criminal incidents to conceal the leadership's inadequacy. The resulting picture is one of a state retreating in the face of crime, with police officers fearing for their lives and leadership focusing on internal balances rather than results. The author states that Loizidis's revelations are not surprising, as similar phenomena have been warned about in the past. Furthermore, it denounces the existence of two police forces – the central leadership and the provincial departments – and the leadership's detachment from reality. The article calls on the Minister of Justice to take action and involve the National Council in addressing organized crime, in order to prevent further escalation and restore public trust in the police.