Authorities believe that a 25-year-old man who is wanted in connection with the murder of a 35-year-old woman from Ukraine has fled to the occupied north, Cyprus News Agency (CNA) reports.
“There are serious indications that he (the suspect) fled towards areas that are not controlled by the Republic,” police spokesperson Christos Andreou said.
Erkan Alkan – an asylum seeker from Turkey – is the main suspect in a case of premeditated murder.
Authorities have released a photo of him along with information on the official police website and the exit points of the divided island, including the crossing points.
Regarding his motives, Andreou said that although police have some leads, all possibilities are still open.
The spokesperson noted that investigators found evidence at the crime scene which lead them to believe that the murder was premeditated.
The victim, who had fled the war in Ukraine and was in Cyprus for a year now, was found dead in the apartment she was renting in Yermasoyia, Limassol, early on Sunday, May 7.
An autopsy on her body showed that she was strangled to death.
A few hours earlier she is believed to have met the suspect and had sexual intercourse with him.
On-site examinations indicate that she fought with the wanted man as blood stains were found on the ground.
A bag with plastic cable strings and the suspect’s watch were also found at the scene.
A friend of the victim, who authorities believe that she was the one to arrange the meeting, has been arrested and is now facing charges of “living on earnings of prostitution” and “sex trafficking”.
According to information, the appointment was set up by the victim’s arrested friend through the “Bazaraki” mobile application.
Anyone with any information on the whereabouts of Alkan is urged to contact the Limassol CID at 25-805057, their nearest police station, or the citizens hotline at 1460.
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Turkish man wanted after Ukrainian woman’s murder in Limassol still on the run
