Cyprus: Canadian Soldier Arrested

A 25 year old Canadian soldier has been arrested by the police in Cyprus and has been released into custody pf Canadian military police.

A Canadian soldier was arrested by Cypriot police for allegedly threatening a taxi driver with a knife. The 25-year-old soldier was possibly drunk when he was arrested shortly after midnight Saturday in the southwestern coastal resort of Paphos. The soldier arrived in Paphos last Thursday for a brief rest before flying home after completing a combat tour in Afghanistan. Canadian Forces Major Ralph Sears said the soldier was being released into the custody of Canadian military police until Monday, when he is to appear in a Paphos court. Since 2006, around 11,000 Canadian soldiers returning from Afghanistan have used Cyprus as a rest stop to readjust to civilian life on their way back to Canada.