Cyprus: Azerbaijani National Arrested for Espionage – Photographing American C17s

An Azerbaijani national has been arrested in Cyprus on charges of espionage for allegedly photographing American C17 transport aircraft at the "Andreas Papandreou" airbase in Paphos.

According to a report by Alpha, the suspect, who arrived in Cyprus in April as a British tourist, is not cooperating with the Cypriot authorities. Authorities say the man traveled to Paphos by bus and photographed the base from nearby fields.

The four American C17 transport aircraft have been in Cyprus for approximately two weeks and, according to reports, are being used to transport materials to military bases in other countries.

Cypriot authorities are in contact with Greek authorities, who arrested a 26-year-old Azerbaijani man in Greece for similar offenses. The 26-year-old had rented a room overlooking Souda Bay and military installations, and photographic equipment and specialized software were found in his possession.