Two men, who were arrested on charges of aiding and abetting in connection with the murder of Ayça Alav, one of the owners of Alav Currency in Nicosia, were brought to court. Deputy Inspector Ömer Faruk Şengil provided details about the incident. The police stated that the suspects were arrested in connection with premeditated murder and robbery charges.
The police reported that on Friday, 22 December, the two suspects from Cameroon, entered the Hit Bit store at 14:47 in Vakıf Sokak in the Surlariçi district of Nicosia. They tied the hands of business owner Ayça Alav from behind with an antenna cable, stuffed a towel in her mouth and secured it with packing tape. This act led to her death.
It was further stated that the suspects later went to Alav Currency nearby, stole a bag containing an undetermined amount of foreign currency and Turkish lira, as well as cash and a mobile phone inside belonging to Ayça Alav.
When Mrs Alav failed to show up to pick up her daughter after school, the school administration informed a relative, who then reported the situation to the police.
The police stated that following investigations, Mrs Alav’s body was found at Hit Bit around 21:00, and an investigation was launched.
After identifying the culprits, the police reviewed footage from a security camera and determined that S.H came to pick up the suspects with his vehicle. The police revealed that S.H took the suspects to the residence of F.L.W.D, and from there, they were taken to a region near the border, helping them escape to the south.
The police stated that while fleeing, the suspects threw Mrs Alav’s mobile phone into an empty box in the parking lot of a market along the way. A police officer emphasised that the investigation was ongoing on multiple fronts and requested that the suspects be held in custody for three days.
Judge Hazal Hacımulla ordered the detention of the suspects for three days.
