Three Bulgarian nationals have been arrested in Cyprus on suspicion of coming to the island to carry out assassinations.

They were arrested Saturday evening on a tip-off of an owner of a summer house in Paphos, who had complained earlier the same day that the men had been in his home without his permission.

Suspected assassination targets told the police that the Bulgarians had been hired by a British national with whom they had had money disputes, according to reports of the Cyprus Mail, as cited by the Bulgarian National Radio.

The local authorities have issued an arrest warrant for the man believed to have ordered the contract killings, who is hiding.

The three Bulgarians have been remanded in custody, facing charges of attempted murder.

The three men are believed to have been part of a crime ring functioning outside Bulgaria.