Jail for people smugglers

Two men, who had helped steer boats with irregular migrants last October, were sentenced to two and half years in prison for people smuggling, the Larnaca District Court ruled on Wednesday.

The two, 22 and 23, helped migrant boats arrive in the Famagusta area in two separate boats on October 28 last year.

Specifically, according to a police statement, the court imposed the prison sentence on the two men for transporting migrants in an unsafe or overloaded vessel.

The two cases related to the arrival of several irregular migrants in two sea vessels in an area near Ayia Napa on October 28, 2023.

According to the police statement, the first boat contained 51 irregular migrants, including the 22-year-old, while the second boat contained 23 irregular migrants, including the 23-year-old.

According to testimonies subsequently obtained, the 22-year-old and the 23-year-old were steering the two vessels, separately. They were arrested by the police.