Award Banner
Award Banner

Search underway for more bodies after Cyprus serial killer admits to killing 7 foreign women, including 3 Filipinas

Search underway for more bodies after Cyprus serial killer admits to killing 7 foreign women, including 3 Filipinas
PHOTO: AFP

XYLIANTOS, CYPRUS - Cypriot authorities were combing lakes for the remains of three women and a girl dumped by a suspected serial killer in a "Good Friday" hunt for bodies that has shocked the island.

The search focused on two lakes south-west of Nicosia where the suspect, named in local media as Nicos Metaxas, a 35-year-old Greek Cypriot army officer, allegedly confessed to having dumped the bodies.

The suspect has admitted to killing seven foreign women and underage girls in total on the Mediterranean holiday island, according to police sources.

Since April 14, the police have recovered three bodies, all Filipino domestic workers.

The stepped-up search at the lakes - water-filled craters of former mines now normally used as picnic sites in the foothills of the Troodos mountains - coincided with the day that Greek Cypriots mark the Orthodox Good Friday.

Cyprus fire chief Marcos Trangolas was at the roped-off crime scene at Memi Lake in Xyliantos to follow up on the search along with several high-level police and intelligence officials.

A sole diver connected to an air hose was sent in, descending into the deep emerald-green waters filling the crater.

"We are searching specific places that the camera, the robot camera, didn't have a clear picture (of). So we are searching step-by-step with divers," the fire chief's spokesman Andreas Kettis told AFP.

RISING WATERS

The mines-turned-lakes are swollen after record rainfall in Cyprus this winter, posing an extra challenge for investigators.

"If you assume that when the suspect came here the water (level) was down perhaps more than five metres... it differentiates the scene from before," said spokesman Kettis.

The locations of the searches were based on information given to police, he added.

The suspect was earlier at the site with police as they worked in tandem with a specialised diving company to locate and recover the bodies.

At the other crime site at Red Lake in Mitsero, a 10-minute drive away, spokesman Kettis said robotic equipment might also be sent in to search its acidic, copper-colluded waters.

Police sources have said the authorities are looking into cases involving an Asian woman as well as that of a Romanian mother and her young daughter reported missing in 2016.

The suspect on Thursday showed investigators the spot where he had dumped a body in a well at an army firing range outside the capital.

Local media have dubbed the case the island's "first serial killings", with two bodies, both believed to be Filipinas, recovered from an abandoned mineshaft since mid-April.

Cypriot police are also searching for the body of a missing six-year-old Filipino girl, daughter of one of the murdered women.

The case came to light after a German tourist taking photographs of the mine spotted the first body, brought to the surface of the 150m shaft which flooded after unusually heavy rains.

The suspect reportedly met the Filipinas, through Badoo, a dating-focused social network.

'APOLOGY'

President Nicos Anastasiades, in a statement issued by the palace on Friday, condemned "these hideous crimes" against foreign women.

"Shocked by the revelation of so many shameful murders against innocent foreign women and young children," the President said, expressing "deepest sorrow and strong concern".

"He also acknowledges the indignation of Cypriot society over murders that seem to have selectively targeted foreign women in our country to work, as this is contrary to the tradition and values of our culture," his office said.

The news website Kathimerini Cyprus wrote a "letter of apology" to the victims' families, and said the killings were a crime against the victims as well as "against the country", denouncing "xenophobic tendencies and racist behaviours".

homepage

trending

trending
    Over $50k in gold coins, cash stolen from veteran artist Koeh Sia Yong's home while he was in Bali
    6 inspiring local mum-preneurs in celebration of Mother's Day
    Young elephant dies in lorry accident on Malaysia highway, incident draws sympathy as mother doesn't leave its side
    Singapore's Loh Kean Yew stays calm to beat Chou Tien-chen to win Taipei Open crown
    Simu Liu announces engagement
    I let my spontaneous INFP friend plan our day out – here's how we got around hassle-free
    27-year-old in Singapore on student's pass arrested for alleged China govt official impersonation scam amounting to $40k
    Eleanor Lee denies calling China nationals 'stupid' in leaked audio clip, says she has 'love and gratitude' for the country
    Flor Patisserie repeats call for government help after landlord hikes rent by 57%
    Godzilla 'seen' at Marina Bay in celebration of its 70th anniversary
    Not just the blues: Coping with postpartum depression as a working mum
    'Why didn't my mum try harder?' Woman serving jail time confronts painful past in Mother's Day visit

Singapore

Singapore
    • Fire breaks out in Tampines industrial building, students from school nearby evacuated
    • Man seeks apology from cyclist who slapped son after collision at Tampines junction
    • 'This is not who we are as a people': Shanmugam on Yishun community cat found killed; feeder appeals for witnesses
    • 'We rejoice at the election': Singapore Archdiocese and congregants congratulate new pontiff Pope Leo XIV
    • Singapore car allegedly made illegal U-turn on Second Link in Johor, causing fatal accident
    • 'We're not running away': PSP's Tan Cheng Bock reflects on GE2025, says party will move forward
    • Man arrested for suspected drug offences, injuring police officers in Bugis
    • 5 former schools in Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris set to be replaced by new homes
    • Missing 81-year-old man found on Bartley HDB rooftop after 6 days
    • Behind the scenes: We followed the Traffic Police to find out what goes on during a heavy vehicle speeding enforcement operations exercise

Entertainment

Entertainment
    • 3 made-with-Singapore films selected for 2025 Cannes Film Festival
    • 'My wife told me I'm not as agile as before': Christopher Lee recalls Fann Wong's warning prior to bike trip with brother around Taiwan
    • Lee Chae-min recounts surprising Crushology 101 cast and crew with how much he perspired on set
    • Gossip mill: Fan who kissed BTS' Jin surrenders, Song Ji-hyo trains as a haenyeo, Chris Wang wipes social media after alleged divorce
    • Once a hip-hop king, Sean 'Diddy' Combs faces trial that could send him to prison for life
    • Amber Heard announces birth of twins
    • 'She's my best friend': Miley Cyrus comments on rumours between her and her mum
    • 'He's younger than me': Melanie Hamrick defends 44-year-age gap between her and fiance Mick Jagger
    • Rose McGowan quit acting career for 'silence' away from Hollywood
    • Brie Larson to release party-themed cookbook

Lifestyle

Lifestyle
    • Cinema-themed Korean restaurant opens at Changi Airport with banchan and ice-cream buffet
    • Burnt Ends in top 5 of World's 101 Best Steak Restaurants 2025 list, 3 other Singapore steakhouses make the cut
    • Tesla Model 3 Performance review: The ultimate Tesla for the performance freak
    • Isetan at Tampines Mall to shutter in November after almost 30 years
    • Spring in full bloom: Festive fun for all ages in Hong Kong
    • Battle of Middle East budget airlines: Which ones are worth it?
    • The ultimate work-from-home homebuyer checklist (that most people still overlook)
    • 5 types of unusual bak zhang to try this Dragon Boat Festival 2025
    • These $4m freehold landed homes in Joo Chiat have a 1.4 plot ratio: What buyers should know
    • I planned my dream road trip - and it still didn't go as planned

Digicult

Digicult
    • A $500 wake-up call: How the Samsung Galaxy Ring made me realise my stress
    • Monster Hunter Wilds producer explains how game has remained unique and fresh over 20 years
    • Google Pixel 9a: The best AI-centric phone under $800 in 2025?
    • Western intelligence agencies warn spyware threat targeting Taiwan, Tibetan rights advocates
    • Taiwan says China using generative AI to ramp up disinformation and 'divide' the island
    • Russian court fines Telegram app for refusal to remove anti-government content, TASS reports
    • One Beijing man's quest to keep cooking — and connecting with Americans — on camera
    • Nintendo Switch 2 to launch in June with US$449.99 price tag
    • Games in April: RPGs, racing and Ronaldo in a fighting game
    • Is it time to get a MacBook at a good price? The M4 MacBook Air says yes

Money

Money
    • Giant deal: Malaysian company to acquire Cold Storage and Giant supermarket chains in Singapore
    • This US-owned factory in China made toys for Walmart. Tariffs put it on life support
    • Are you paying more than you should with dealer financing?
    • Best credit card promotions in Singapore (May 2025): Citibank, DBS, HSBC, UOB and more
    • Why paying minimum on credit cards may cost you in the long run
    • Here's where you can find the biggest 2-bedder condos under $1.8m in 2025
    • Best fixed deposit rates in Singapore (May 2025): Minimum deposits from $500, rates up to 2.50%
    • 5-room DBSS flat in Kallang sets town's new all-time-high record at $1.49m
    • All-time high of 141 million-dollar flats sold in April 2025 as HDB resale prices, volume continue to rise
    • Japan, China, South Korea, Asean enhance regional financial safety net

Latest

Latest
  • Military officials of India and Pakistan to discuss next steps, India says, as ceasefire holds
  • Israel says not committed to Hamas ceasefire, only to safe corridor for US hostage release
  • First white South Africans board plane for US under Trump refugee plan
  • Magnitude 5.5 earthquake strikes China's Tibet
  • Barack Obama quashes divorce rumours with Mother's Day post
  • Trump plans to accept luxury 747 from Qatar to use as Air Force One, source says
  • Philippines votes in high-stakes midterms amid Marcos-Duterte showdown
  • Argentina's top court finds 80 boxes of Nazi materials in its basement
  • Trump 'starting to doubt' that Ukraine will reach deal with Russia

In Case You Missed It

In Case You Missed It
  • 'Dog will return soon': GE2025 independent candidate Jeremy Tan wants to contest again
  • Ong Ye Kung leads PAP team to victory while elder brother Howard Ong loses in Australia's election on the same day
  • Tan Kiat How weighs in on viral video of Gan Kim Yong being ignored by passers-by in Punggol
  • PSP's Tan Cheng Bock turns 85; SDP's Paul Tambyah joins celebration at Teban Gardens
  • PM Wong urges voters to 'choose leaders of good character' in PAP's first party political broadcast
  • It is 'important for Singapore's democracy' that WP wins more seats, says Pritam in election broadcast
  • GE2025: PSP, RDU, SDP, PPP, PAR, NSP promise to push for policy changes if elected to Parliament in first political broadcast
  • 'Everyone has the right to express their feelings': WP candidates address four-cornered fight in Tampines GRC
  • PAP's Desmond Lee responds to opposition's calls for GST exemption, says 'we want to make it progressive'
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.