Woman arrested at Paphos airport trying to leave with stolen passport

A 25-year-old woman was arrested at Paphos airport for attempting to leave the country using a stolen passport, police said on Wednesday.

Paphos police deputy chief Michalis Ioannou said the woman, who is of African origin, was stopped at passport control around noon on Tuesday while attempting to board a flight to Belgium.

The passport she was using belonged to a 19-year-old, and even though checks showed it was genuine, it became obvious that it did not belong to the woman using it as the photograph did not match her appearance.

During questioning, the woman admitted that this was not her passport, that she was really 25 years old, and from Congo.

Further checks showed she was seeking asylum in Cyprus and her application was still pending.

Ioannou said she was arrested and is currently in custody for impersonation.