Police Shocked by Harrowing Torture Footage in Casino Backroom
- 09 Feb 2026
- Gambling News
Following the release of videos demonstrating the torture of seven individuals in a casino backroom, Cyprus police have opened an inquiry into a violent organized crime ring.
Detectives said the video, which was seized on two cell phones belonging to a 48-year-old male, is among the most horrific they have ever seen. According to The Cyprus Mail, the suspect was taken into custody after a shooting outside Larnaca police headquarters on January 17.
According to police, the torture episodes happened inside a gaming establishment in Pyla, a village close to Larnaca that is unusual in that it is still home to both Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Ten years before to Turkey's military conquest of the island's north in 1974, Pyla is located inside the United Nations buffer zone, which was created in 1964 to prevent intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
Pyla's unique administrative status has made it challenging to control economic activity, allowing unlicensed gaming establishments and other illegal businesses to flourish in and around the hamlet. This is because the area is guarded by UN forces rather than traditional law enforcement agencies.
Because of the region's fragmented government, serious crimes in the hamlet frequently necessitate collaboration between UN representatives and Cypriot authorities.
"Office from Hell"
According to police, the footage, which was shot on various occasions in 2025, showed hostages being held captive in "an office from hell" located on the first floor of the casino.
The recordings, according to investigators, depict victims being assaulted, threatened with knives and pistols, and forced to confess or give up money.
One recording shows a man who has head injuries and a swollen eye being punched, spat on, and mistreated; at one point, he even seems to urinate while being attacked. In another, he is threatened with mutilation and screams as a knife is slashed on his head.
In other video, a foreign person is repeatedly hit with a metal weapon while pleading not to be assaulted. Blood is shown pouring from his nose before he passes out. Additional footage shows victims being kicked while they beg for help, belts being used as whips, wrists being cut, and knives being sharpened. One victim is seen with a revolver shoved into his mouth. 16 different recordings shot in the same room feature the same individual.
A "Prominent Businessman" is the ringleader
In relation to the torture case, police have also detained a 47-year-old man and arrested a 27-year-old. Prosecutors claim that the latter, "a prominent businessman," is the ringleader of the criminal organization, which uses intimidation and violence to obtain protection money.
A third individual, a foreign national, is being sought by police on suspicion of participating in both the January shooting and the torture.
