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Cyprus

Two boats carrying 39 irregular migrants arrive in Cyprus

File photo: Marine police

Another 39 people arrived in Cyprus from Syria on two boats on Friday.

According to Steve Theodoulou, spokesman of the Famagusta Police Department, “around 1:25pm on Friday a boat was detected by the radar of the coastal and maritime police, sailing at a distance of 10 nautical miles southeast of Cape Greco”.

The boat, about 5 metres long, was stopped 8 nautical miles southeast of the cape. It was transporting 19 irregular migrants from Syria, 16 men, 2 women and 1 child.

When interrogated, the people on the boat, he said, said that they started on Tuesday, May 25 from an area of ​​Syria and that they bought passage for $2,500 each.

The arrivals and their boat were taken to the Ayia Napa marina, while during their interrogation, testimony emerged against one of them that he was the captain. He was taken into custody while the remainder of the migrants were taken to the Pournara centre.

A short time later, at around 2.30pm another vessel was spotted 12 nautical miles southeast of Cape Greco and police intercepted it at a distance of 11 nautical miles from the coast.

Investigations revealed that the 7-metre-long boat was carrying 20 irregular migrants from Syria, 12 men, 4 women, three babies and an unaccompanied minor.

The immigrants were taken to the Ayia Napa marina and when interrogated. They also said they had set out from Syria on Tuesday and had paid the same amount.

The captain of the second boat was also arrested and the migrants taken to Pournara.

The two arrested men are due to appear in court on Saturday.

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