Two arrested over latest attack on delivery driver

Two men, aged 20 years old and 18 years old, appeared in court in Limassol on Friday after having been arrested on suspicion of having assaulted and robbed a delivery driver.

The pair were both handed eight-day remands.

The delivery driver, who is 22 years old, had reported that two young men who were riding a moped confronted him while he was riding his bicycle for work, threw him to the ground, and stole his shoulder bag, which contained €170 in cash, as well as “various documents”.

The incident came just shy of two weeks after delivery drivers in Limassol staged a protest against what they called a “frightening surge” in violent attacks against them.

Around 300 people joined the demonstration, with one telling the Cyprus Mail that “everyone is afraid to do their job”.

“We’ve had eggs thrown at us, glass bottles smashed on our helmets, our bikes stolen. We can’t continue like this,” he added.

In response, Limassol police’s deputy spokesman Marinos Vasiliou told the Cyprus Mail that the number of such incidents being reported had not increased, but that this may be the case due to drivers’ fear of speaking out.

A day later, online food ordering platform Wolt said it had expressed concerns over the reported rise in incidents, saying they had sent a letter to the relevant authorities expressing concern about the “nature and frequency of attacks against delivery drivers.”

“In most cases, they have a racist undertone,” they added.