Two twins from Merseyside were the targets of an alleged plot to have them murdered for hire in Cyprus, which led to the arrest of eight people from various European countries, according to a report today in the British newspaper Liverpool Echo.
The alleged murder plot, the newspaper reports, began on August 10 with an advertisement posted by a person using the name “Sponge Jobb” on the encrypted messaging service Signal. The ad stated that a hitman was needed to carry out a job in the EU in exchange for $60,000 worth of cryptocurrency.
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The ad received a response from a Danish police officer posing as the prospective contractor, which led to an international criminal investigation, the British newspaper reports, citing the Cypriot journalism network CIReN.
What followed was a cross-border operation in which eight people from three countries were arrested in Cyprus.
Police initially arrested one Irish and two Danish nationals on August 27. The arrests are believed to have thwarted the contract killing plot, but information was soon shared by the Swedish police that a suspected hitman from Sweden had arrived in Cyprus. Along with another Swedish national, the two were placed under surveillance before being arrested along with three other men, also from Sweden.
A subsequent search turned up a handgun, medical masks, and disposable gloves. All five deny any involvement and claim they were in Cyprus on vacation.
The Irish national denied any involvement in the assassination plot, claiming that he was paid to deliver an envelope containing 1,000 euros to a location in Ayia Napa. It has also been reported that the Danish undercover officer was sent photographs of the brothers, as well as information about pistols and ammunition allegedly originating from Turkey.
The British newspaper reported that it can now confirm that the intended targets of the assassination plot were brothers Jamie and Aaron Small from Liverpool. Since the plot was uncovered, the two have been missing, and authorities are trying to locate them.
Cypriot police have been in contact with Merseyside Police, and it has been reported that the brothers were recently on vacation in Cyprus. Police believe they were in Cyprus but recently left the island.
Jamie and Aaron Small competed in MMA matches in their hometown before leaving the country. A spokesperson for Merseyside Police stated: “The investigation is being led by law enforcement authorities in Cyprus. We are in contact with them to offer whatever support we can due to connections with individuals from Merseyside.”
A previous report in the Irish Times had noted how the Irish suspect is linked to the McCarthy-Dundon gang, which is involved in drug trafficking and extortion in the city of Limerick, and has historical ties to the Kinahan cartel. Prosecutors allege that he was responsible for coordinating with the hitman and providing funds during his stay in Cyprus. The 33-year-old reportedly traveled to the country from the United Kingdom on August 17.
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