Army officer arrested for robbing exchange bureau in Lefkosa

An army sergeant has been arrested in connection with the robbery incident at a Money Exchange Bureau near the Metehan border crossing, eleven days after the robbery incident on September, 17.

Following days of intensive investigations, a team from the Lefkosa Justice Department and Crime Prevention Department (Lefkoşa Adli Şube ve Cürümleri Önleme Şubesi) arrested the suspect, Onur Keskin, at home in his army quarters home in Zümrütköy on Friday September, 28 and brought before a court in Lefkosa on charges of robbery at the Money Exchange Bureau, on September, 17, 2018.

Keskin who is a qualified Sergeant at the Cyprus Turkish Peace Force Command, appeared at the Lefkosa district court on Saturday and was ordered to remain in detention for three days while further investigations were being made. 

Bail was refused by the Judge due to the risk of Keskin influencing or interfering with police investigation.

It is alleged that Keskin, wearing sunglasses and a hat, waited outside for a while before entering Gesfi Exchange Bureau (Gesfi Döviz Bürosu). He approached the cashier Funda Göler with a hand gun threatening to kill her if she did not give him any money. She handed over 14,250 TL.

He also forcefully snatched 50 Euros from a Greek Cypriot customer who had come into the bureau. 

He ran off behind the building jumping over a fence heading towards the Kermiya Social Housing estate.

At Keskin’s home, police have recovered a hand gun, newly purchased clothes, a small amount of the stolen money, along with the clothes and mask he wore on the day of the robbery. 

Keskin gave a voluntary statement admitting to the crime and told police that he spent the rest of money in various places of entertainment.