Eight arrested over alleged hit on Liverpool twins in Cyprus 2026

Key Points

• Two Merseyside twins, Jamie and Aaron Small from Liverpool, were the intended targets of an alleged murder-for-hire plot in Cyprus.
• The plot began on August 10, 2026, when an advert was posted on the encrypted messaging app Signal by a user named “Sponge Jobb”, offering $60,000 in cryptocurrency for a hit in the EU.
• A Danish police officer posing as a hitman responded, triggering an international investigation involving Cypriot, Danish, Swedish, Irish and Norwegian authorities.
• Eight people were arrested in Cyprus: one Irish national, two Danish or Norwegian nationals (reports vary), and five Swedish nationals.
• Police recovered a pistol, medical masks and disposable gloves during searches; all five Swedes deny wrongdoing and say they were on holiday.
• The Irish suspect denies involvement in the murder plot, claiming he was paid to deliver an envelope with €1,000 to Ayia Napa.
• Since the plot was uncovered, the Small twins have gone missing and authorities are trying to locate them; Cypriot police have liaised with Merseyside Police.
• Irish security sources and some reports allege links to the Kinahan cartel, though suspects have not been charged and investigations are ongoing.

Liverpool (Liverpool standard) September 09, 2026 – An alleged international murder-for-hire plot targeting two Merseyside twins has been disrupted in Cyprus, leading to eight arrests across Europe and prompting a cross-border police operation that began with a cryptic advert on the encrypted messaging service Signal.

How the plot began with a Signal advert

The alleged conspiracy originated on the evening of August 10, 2026, when a user operating under the handle “Sponge Jobb” posted a message in a Signal group seeking someone willing to carry out a killing in the European Union. According to CIReN, the account used an avatar depicting the cartoon character SpongeBob SquarePants and stated that weapons and transport would be made available, ultimately offering around $60,000 in cryptocurrency for the job.

As reported by CIReN, the advert received a response from a Danish police officer posing as a would-be hitman, which triggered an international criminal investigation. The undercover engagement allowed authorities to trace the network behind the solicitation and identify suspects travelling to Cyprus, where the intended victims – later confirmed as Liverpool twins Jamie and Aaron Small – were believed to be holidaying.

Arrests in three waves across Cyprus

The first arrests came on August 27, when Cypriot police detained an Irish man and two Danish nationals (some reports describe them as Norwegian nationals) in connection with the plot. Searches of their apartments reportedly uncovered six mobile phones, two expandable batons and more than €2,600 in cash, according to Irish and Cypriot coverage.

While those arrests were initially thought to have halted the scheme, Swedish police soon shared intelligence that a suspected hitman from Sweden had arrived in Cyprus. Acting on that information, Cypriot authorities placed two Swedish nationals under surveillance before arresting them alongside three other Swedish men. A subsequent search turned up a pistol, medical masks and disposable gloves.

In total, eight people from three countries have been detained in Cyprus: one Irish national, two Danish or Norwegian nationals (media accounts differ on nationality), and five Swedish nationals. All five Swedes deny wrongdoing and say they were on holiday in Cyprus, while the Irish suspect has also denied involvement in the murder plot.

What suspects have told police

Cypriot news outlets have reported that the Irish national denies any involvement in the murder plot, claiming he was paid to deliver an envelope containing €1,000 to a location in Ayia Napa. The five Swedish suspects, meanwhile, maintain they were in Cyprus for a holiday and have denied any criminal intent, despite the recovery of a firearm and other items during searches.

According to evidence presented before the Famagusta district court, the alleged organiser told the undercover officer there was “a job in Cyprus” involving the execution of two twins who were on holiday on the island, with a fee of approximately €85,000 cited in court proceedings.

Targets identified as Liverpool twins now missing

The ECHO has confirmed the intended targets were brothers Jamie and Aaron Small from Liverpool. Since the plot was uncovered, the pair have gone missing, with authorities trying to locate them. Cypriot police officers have been in touch with Merseyside Police over the incident, with the brothers reported to have recently been on holiday in the country.

International cooperation and alleged cartel links

The operation involved coordination between Cypriot police, Danish undercover officers, Swedish authorities and Irish investigators, with Europol also referenced in coverage of the case. Irish security sources, as cited by the Irish Times, are confident the hits were ultimately commissioned by veteran criminals with close links to the Kinahan cartel, though no charges have been brought and the investigation remains ongoing.

Cyprus Mail has reported that the Irish Kinahan cartel are alleged to have plotted to murder the British twin brothers in Cyprus, with smaller criminal networks in Ireland and Sweden possibly recruited to carry out the operation. These allegations have not been tested in court, and suspects continue to be investigated on suspicion of organised crime offences, including conspiracy to murder and participation in a criminal group.

Background: how this development unfolded

The development emerged from a digital footprint on an encrypted platform, where a seemingly informal advert using a cartoon avatar escalated into a multi-jurisdictional homicide investigation. After the Signal post on August 10, Danish undercover engagement provided the initial breakthrough, enabling Cypriot police to identify and detain suspects in late August. Swedish intelligence then extended the operation, leading to a second wave of arrests in early September and the seizure of a firearm and related items.

Court hearings in Famagusta and Paphos have since remanded several suspects for further detention while investigations continue, with authorities examining financial records, communications and travel patterns to establish the chain of command behind the alleged plot.

Prediction: how this could affect UK holidaymakers and local communities

If the allegations are substantiated, this development could affect UK holidaymakers by heightening awareness of organised crime activity in popular Mediterranean destinations and prompting more visible liaison between British forces and overseas police. For Merseyside and wider UK communities, the case may intensify scrutiny of cross-border criminal networks and encourage closer cooperation between regional police forces and international agencies when threats involve British nationals abroad. In practical terms, travellers may see more advisory content from police and tour operators about staying alert to unusual approaches, while local news audiences can expect continued updates as charges, if any, are brought and court proceedings advance.