Police in Cyprus have opened a probe into the actions of a possible serial killer after two women were found murdered and dumped in a mineshaft, while a third, a six-year-old child, is still missing, Reuters reported.
According to the news agency, one of the victims was identified as a 39-year-old woman from the Philippines who disappeared in May, 2018 along with her six-year-old daughter.
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A second victim, who was found late on Saturday, is believed to be a 28-year-old from the Philippines who was also reported missing last year. However, she has not been definitively identified.
A 35-year-old career officer with the Cypriot Army is in custody on suspicion of killing all three.
"This is a form of crime unprecedented for the norms of Cyprus. It's premature to assess the extent of this crime", Police Chief Zacharias Chrysostomou told reporters.
Both women had worked in Cyprus. The island has a rather large Filipino population.
State TV has quoted campaigner Louis Koutroukides, who said that police had ignored fears expressed for the women's safety when they went missing last year.
"If they believed me when I went to the police things would have turned out differently", he said.
Police Chief Chrysostomou argued that law enforcement had "every intention" of investigating any perceived shortcomings, adding that they would assign responsibility where due.