Just days before the drone attack on the British Bases at Akrotiri, Cypriot authorities had already received classified intelligence about an impending serious incident on Cypriot territory. Republic services, in cooperation with foreign counterparts, had activated a covert alert.
According to reliable sources, security services had known since mid-week that individuals with suspicious activities and ties to Iran — potentially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) — were operating on the island. The intelligence specifically indicated a planned operation involving unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
These findings align entirely with the arrest of a couple in Larnaca — a 28-year-old Azerbaijani man and a 27-year-old Estonian woman — who are being held in custody on terrorism charges. Their arrest resulted from the assessment of classified information received in late February.
The 28-year-old suspect had reportedly traveled to Iran on multiple occasions, and there are reasonable grounds to believe he was recruited by the IRGC. Before his arrest, he was placed under physical surveillance, which revealed behavior consistent with a trained operative skilled in counter-surveillance techniques.
During their stay in Paphos, Limassol, and Larnaca, the two individuals systematically photographed locations frequented by people of Israeli origin. Investigators are examining whether the photographs were sent to a handler abroad.
A significant connection has emerged: the 28-year-old suspect reportedly had the same handler as a 44-year-old Azerbaijani national arrested in Cyprus in June 2025 for espionage at the British Bases, who faces charges of espionage, entering a prohibited area, and money laundering.
