Six men arrested for migrant smuggling in Cyprus

The Republic of Cyprus Police have arrested two more Syrians, aged 29 and 27, on suspicion of smuggling nearly 500 illegal migrants who arrived in the country earlier this week. Thus, the total number of detained individuals in this case has reached six.

According to the police, the two men were on the first boat with migrants found off the coast of Cape Greco on Monday. It is expected that the two suspects will appear before the Famagusta District Court today.

Earlier on Wednesday, the police arrested two more suspected organizers of illegal migration. A 33-year-old man was on the fourth boat, and a 27-year-old was on the fifth.

Previously, two detained men, aged 41 and 23, were on the sixth boat. On Tuesday, the court remanded them in custody for eight days.

Recall that on Monday, March 11, six boats with illegal migrants were spotted off the coast of Cyprus. In total, 458 people arrived in the country, including 156 children, 33 of whom were unaccompanied minors.

After registering all arriving citizens, they were transferred to the Pournara Refugee Temporary Accommodation Center. Immigrants informed the police that the six boats departed from Lebanon. Each passenger paid three thousand dollars to an unknown person.

It should be noted that since the beginning of the year, more than two thousand foreign nationals have been deported or repatriated from the Republic of Cyprus.