Eight Arrested in International Murder-for-Hire Plot Foiled via Signal Chat

An international police operation originating from a Signal chat message offering $60,000 in cryptocurrency has led to the arrest of eight suspects in connection with an alleged murder-for-hire plot targeting twin brothers vacationing in Cyprus, according to court records and police authorities.

The cross-border investigation unfolded after an undercover Danish police officer answered a contract killing solicitation posted on the messaging app. According to details gathered from the Cypriot court by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project and its member center CIReN, the plot came to light following digital monitoring of a group using an avatar of the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants.

Digital Solicitation and Undercover Operation

On the evening of August 10, a user operating under the handle “Sponge Jobb” posted a call for a hitman to a Signal group, stating that weapons and transport were available, according to court documents. The poster offered $60,000 in cryptocurrency to execute the assassination.

Days after the advertisement appeared, a Danish officer posing as a contract killer answered the call, triggering an international police response. The targets of the alleged plot were described in the Cypriot court only as twin brothers visiting the island on holiday. As the conspiracy unraveled, the brothers left Cyprus, and authorities are currently searching for them with the assistance of Interpol.

Investigators established that a payment for the hit was arranged through a drop in the Cypriot resort town of Ayia Napa. According to court evidence, an Irish suspect delivered an envelope containing 1,000 euros to a cardboard box behind rubbish bins near Ayia Napa Primary School while two participants watched nearby. The undercover officer subsequently collected the cash. Prior to the exchange, two photographs of the twin targets were sent to the undercover officer’s phone.

Suspects Arrested Across Multiple Jurisdictions

Cypriot authorities and international law enforcement agencies have arrested eight individuals in connection with the investigation, comprising an Irish national, two Norwegian men, and five Swedish nationals.

According to information from Interpol’s Ireland office presented in court, the Irish suspect has no prior criminal history and is known to police in his home country only for traffic offenses. Testifying in court, the Irish national denied involvement in any murder plot. He stated that he had been vacationing in Cyprus, where he befriended one of the Norwegian suspects. He claimed the Norwegian paid him 200 euros to deliver the envelope containing 1,000 euros, telling him the money was owed to a friend.

The two Norwegian suspects exercised their right to silence during court proceedings in Cyprus. Court records obtained by the Norwegian outlet VG show that one of the men has prior convictions for assault and fraud, resulting in a prison sentence of one year and five months. The second Norwegian man’s criminal history includes a five-month sentence for storing narcotics.

Alexandros Clerides, the defense lawyer appointed for one of the Norwegians, stated that his client categorically denies any involvement in or connection to the matters investigated by Cypriot police, adding that his client was in Cyprus on holiday. Omar Tashakori, the attorney representing the second Norwegian suspect, declined to comment on the case.

Wider European Criminal Networks

Following the initial arrests of the two Norwegians and the Irish national, the international operation expanded to net five Swedish suspects. Teodor Smedius, a superintendent at the Swedish Police Authority’s National Operations Department, told Sweden’s SVT that the five Swedes were already known to domestic authorities.

This is a fairly typical violence-as-a-service setup. It is absolutely clear that our domestic criminal networks cooperate with other organized criminal networks across Europe.

Teodor Smedius, Swedish Police Authority

Smedius declined to comment on the precise origin of the murder order. Authorities have not yet revealed a possible motive for the intended killing of the twin brothers, and the ongoing investigation remains strictly guarded by law enforcement officials in Cyprus and partner agencies across Europe. Legal representatives for the Swedish and Irish suspects were unavailable for comment prior to publication.