An unknown suspect stole a police van from a foot-and-mouth checkpoint in Aradippou in the early hours of Thursday after an officer briefly stepped out of the vehicle — apparently leaving the keys in the ignition — and drove it all the way to Larnaca before abandoning it in a dead end and fleeing on foot.
According to police information obtained by Philenews, the incident occurred at around 1am. The van, which bore police markings and had been deployed to reinforce checkpoint measures, was seized while the officer’s back was turned.
The officer jumped into his own car, which was parked nearby, and gave chase. The suspect drove as far as Larnaca before turning into a dead end, leaving the van and escaping on foot.
The motive for the theft remains unknown. Investigators are examining the circumstances under which the van was taken, with initial indications suggesting the keys had been left in the ignition.
The officer, who serves in a different unit and had been seconded to reinforce the Larnaca CID at the foot-and-mouth checkpoints, told police he had stepped away from the vehicle briefly when the suspect made his move.