An Orthodox man was transporting a gun from Ukraine to Israel and ended up in prison in Cyprus

At the Cyprus airport, a 33-year-old Orthodox man from Netivot was arrested. A pneumatic gun was found in his luggage, leading to his detention. This event occurred on October 4, 2025, reports www.vesty.co.il, when the Israeli spent time in a local prison and was later released by the court on the condition of paying a fine.

Acquisition of the Weapon and Detention Process

According to known data, the passenger bought the pneumatic gun in Ukraine. The transaction took place during his trip to the graves of the tzadik on Rosh Hashanah. He intended to bring the seized weapon into Israel, carefully packing it in his suitcase.

However, on the way to Tel Aviv from Poland, the route made a stop in Cyprus. At the airport, before loading the suitcases onto the TUS airline plane, standard baggage scanning was conducted.

During the suitcase check, the gun was discovered, leading to the passenger’s detention. During interrogation, he stated that he perceived the weapon as a toy and was unaware of the prohibitions in Cyprus. It is important to note that according to local laws, pneumatic weapons are also considered a prohibited category.

Days in Prison

After his release, the Israeli shared his impressions of being in prison. He said it was very frightening as he had to be with prisoners from Iran and other countries. According to him, he was even offered to be released on bail during Yom Kippur, but he refused, claiming that the issue was not worth violating religious prohibitions.

“I didn’t know that such a gun was also prohibited. For me, it was just a toy,” he noted.

Court Decision and Lawyer’s Assistance

Israeli lawyer Mordechai Tsivin assisted in the release. Thanks to his intervention, the authorities agreed to release the detainee. The judge was satisfied with the explanation that the man was unaware of the violations, for which he was fined 500 euros.

Lawyer’s Feedback

Lawyer Tsivin approved the actions of the Cyprus law enforcement agencies. He emphasized that they concluded there was no criminal intent in his client’s actions. The behavior of the Israeli during the detention confirmed this assertion.