29-year-old jailed for 7.5 years following cryptocurrency ambush in Limassol
Limassol District Court sentenced a 29-year-old man to imprisonment for robbery of €100,000 during an agreed transaction involving the purchase of digital currencies.
29-year-old jailed for 7.5 years following cryptocurrency ambush in Limassol
A 29-year-old man was sentenced today by the competent Limassol court to a custodial sentence of 7.5 years, after he admitted involvement in an armed robbery of a large sum of money and in laundering the proceeds from it. Additionally, an order was issued for the confiscation of his property.
The case began when the perpetrator and the victim, who had known each other since 2022 through joint transactions in digital currencies, agreed to meet on 23 December 2024. The convicted man contacted the buyer via an internet application and suggested a meeting point.
The buyer arrived at the predetermined location together with his mother, transporting €100,000 in cash in a suitcase. The 29-year-old and another accomplice entered the victim's vehicle. The convicted man sat in the passenger seat and asked to inspect the money. When the buyer opened the bag, the perpetrator snatched it from his hands. The accomplice struck the victim on the head, causing him to bleed.
The victim attempted to prevent the perpetrators' escape, but the 29-year-old continued to beat him, allowing his accomplice to flee on foot with the stolen money.
Subsequently, the convicted man attempted to flee to the occupied territories and from there to leave by ship for Turkey. However, he was arrested by the local authorities there and handed over to Cypriot authorities, where he was arrested under a court warrant.
The court emphasised the gravity of the acts, noting that this was not spontaneous unlawful behaviour, but premeditated actions that revealed deceit and deception. In imposing the sentence, it was taken into account that the convicted man offered no compensation to the victim for the injuries he suffered, the very large sum of money that was taken, and the fact that the money was never returned.
Mitigating factors were considered to be his admission of guilt, his intention to testify against his accomplice, his clean criminal record, as well as his family and personal circumstances. Nevertheless, the court emphasised that in offences showing an upward trend, personal factors carry little weight.
Source: Philenews