A 43-year-old Russian man wanted by Greek police for the murder of businessman Vangelis Zabounis has been arrested in Kyrenia, in the Turkish-occupied north of Cyprus.
The man has been identified as Alexei Sokpa, known by the nickname "Kinezos" ("the Chinese"), according to protothema.gr. Greek authorities have been searching for him since the killing of Zabounis in the Neos Kosmos district of Athens in January 2024.
The case has drawn particular interest in Cyprus, as the 43-year-old is reported to have admitted that last July he crossed illegally from the occupied areas into the free areas of the island and later returned, following the same route through the occupied area of Tymbou, near Nicosia. It has not yet been clarified how long he stayed in the free areas, where he went, who he met, or what the purpose of his presence was.
Illegal residence in the occupied north
Sokpa was taken into custody after it emerged that he had been living in the occupied areas without a permit. According to proceedings before the self-styled district court of Kyrenia, his residence permit had expired on 31 July 2025, and he had been living illegally in the occupied area for 389 days since.
He is being investigated, in the first instance, for offences relating to illegal residence, entering a military area, and illegally crossing into the free areas. The court ordered him held for three days so that his movements and possible involvement in other offences could be investigated.
Police released his details on August 1
Greek Police released Sokpa's name and photograph on 1 August, following an order from the Athens First Instance Prosecutor's Office. His full identity was given as Alexei Sokpa, son of Arkady and Nadezhda, born on 7 August 1983 in Russia. An arrest warrant is pending against him for the homicide committed on 14 January 2024 in Neos Kosmos.
In its announcement, Greek Police described him as a member of a criminal organisation and said publishing his details was necessary both to execute the warrant and to investigate other similar crimes in which he may be involved.
It has not been made public whether contacts have begun for his handover to Greek authorities. The process is complicated by the fact that he is being held in the occupied areas, where there is no internationally recognised judicial or police authority through which Greece can pursue the usual procedure for executing an arrest warrant.
The killing of Vangelis Zabounis
Vangelis Zabounis, 44, was shot dead shortly after 2am on 14 January 2024 outside a fuel station he owned at the corner of Frantzi and Ilia Iliou streets in Neos Kosmos.
The attackers approached his car and opened fire with a Kalashnikov rifle. Ninety-seven shell casings were recovered at the scene, and one of the gunmen opened the car door and shot the victim with a pistol. The car used in the attack was later found burned on Athinon Avenue.
Zabounis was known to Greek authorities and had featured in investigations into organised crime groups. In 2018 he survived an earlier assassination attempt in Piraeus.
Greek Police linked his killing to a war between criminal groups for control of illegal activities, including the smuggling of tobacco products.
