A Limassol office building housing multiple CFD brokers was targeted in a shooting early Wednesday morning, with two perpetrators on a motorcycle firing shots at approximately 4:20 AM. Employees at the Santa Barbara Business Centre discovered bullet damage to the building’s facade and shattered glass panels when they arrived at 8 AM and immediately contacted police. Authorities confirmed the attack but indicated the intended target may not have been a brokerage firm despite several well-known CFD brands operating from the premises.
This marks the latest in a series of violent incidents targeting Cyprus-based financial and investment firms. Similar motorcycle shootings occurred in 2023 and 2022, raising concerns about organized crime connections to the island’s thriving CFD brokerage sector. Cyprus serves as a crucial European gateway for forex and CFD brokers seeking MiFID licensing, though local officials have previously alleged links between some firms and international money laundering networks involving Latin American drug cartels.
FXnCO Insight
Brokers with Cyprus operations should immediately review security protocols and consider regulatory risk exposure as violent incidents suggest potential organized crime infiltration of the island’s financial services sector.
Source: Finance Magnates