A wooden boat with 54 irregular migrants on board was intercepted by police seven nautical miles off the coast of Cape Greco on Saturday.

Of the 54, 13 were children, seven of whom were unaccompanied, and three were women.

All 54 on board were helped aboard police boats and taken to the Golden Coast fishing shelter in Paralimni, where their details were recorded.

One of the men on board was arrested to facilitate the police’s investigation, while the remaining 53 were transported to the Pournara reception centre.