Spike in large sums of cash smuggled into the north

Turkish Cypriot authorities have noticed a rise in the number of incidents involving the transfer of undeclared cash entering the north.

According to Turkish Cypriot newspaper Halkin Sesi four people were arrested in the last month for smuggling a total amount of €6 million in suitcases into the north, without giving any logical explanation for the money.

Halkin Sesi’s latest report involved the arrest of a 60-year-old man carrying €80,000 upon entering the north through the airport.

The man, who was found to have brought €1.9mn into the north within a one week period, claimed that he brought this money “for the purpose of investing”.

In a similar incident, the newspaper said that, on June 17, 2022, a woman carried €500,000 in cash from Istanbul. It was found that the defendant had on two previous occasions smuggled in another €150,000 on January 1 and €200,000 on April 23.

Meanwhile, on June 28, 2022, a man who arrived at the airport in the north was found with €950,000 in his possession when he tried to go back to Istanbul just 20 minutes after his arrival.

Another €500,000 were found in the suitcase of another man who arrived again from Istanbul on July 19, 2022. It was found that the defendant had also transferred the amount of €600,000 on March 24, 2022.