Man remanded as more migrants found off Cape Greco (updated)

A 44-year-old man was remanded for five days on Sunday by the Famagusta District court after being caught allegedly bringing illegal migrants into the country.

According to the police, at 6.20 on Saturday afternoon police intercepted a wooden boat in the sea off Cape Greco.

In the boat were 29 people, 20 men, three women and six children, all Syrian.

Police escorted the vessel to a fisherman’s shelter in Paralimni, where it arrived at around 1.20 on Sunday morning.

The migrants were taken to the Pournara reception centre in Kokkinotrimithia.

During investigations it appeared one of the people on board, the 44-year-old man was responsible for bringing the others to the island and he was arrested after a warrant was secured.

Police are investigating a case of a conspiracy to commit a crime, assisting third country nationals in entering the country illegally. with the intention and for the purpose of making a profit, illegal entry into the Republic and transport of people by water by unsafe or overloaded boat.

The boat was first spotted by coastal police radar at around 4 in the afternoon on Saturday about 20 nautical miles off Cape Greco.

A police boat with nursing staff and a translator immediately headed to the boat accompanied by a police helicopter.