Suspected people traffickers remanded

Two men, a Turkish national and a Turkish Cypriot, were remanded on Wednesday for eight days on suspicion of illegally assisting a group of 19 Syrian migrants arrive in Cyprus by boat from Turkey.

The boat with the Syrian migrants, all men, and the two suspects was spotted off Cape Kormakitis heading towards the Republic’s shore, at around 11pm on Monday. Around half an hour past midnight, two marine police vessels intercepted the boat and towed it to the Kato Pyrgos harbour.

During a check of the group’s documents, authorities suspected that two of them, a Turkish Cypriot and a Turkish national, were the ones that helped them reach the Republic illegally and were arrested.

They are being investigated for offences concerning conspiracy to smuggle illegal immigrants, and other related offences.

It is believed that the migrants each paid US$4,000 to be transferred from Antalya, Turkey to Kato Pyrgos.

The Syrians were taken to the Pournara reception centre.