Cyprus’ ‘toughest ever sentence’ for people smuggler

The five-year prison sentence imposed on a 46-year-old man found guilty of illegal trafficking of migrants was the strictest ever imposed, according to a statement released on Thursday by the attorney general’s office.

According to the Famagusta district court’s findings, the 46-year-old provided assistance to migrants in unlawfully entering the territory of the Republic for financial gain.

The case in which he was found guilty on Wednesday involved 109 migrants who had arrived at Cape Greco by boat on October 28, 2023.

“The prison term marks the strictest sentence imposed by the Cypriot courts for such offences to date, significantly surpassing the three-year sentence handed down in September 2023 for a similar charge of aiding the irregular entry of migrants for profit,” the statement said.

The convicted individual, who admitted to the charges, faced four counts, namely locating illegal immigrants in the territorial waters of the Republic of Cyprus, assisting in the irregular entry of migrants into the Republic for financial gain, legitimising income from illegal activities and participation in a criminal organisation.

“These crimes were committed as part of an internationally operating criminal organisation engaged in migrant smuggling in Cyprus, with Syria and Lebanon implicated,” the statement continued.

The 46-year-old played a substantial role in the entire illegal operation of sea transportation of irregular migrants to Cyprus. Each migrant had paid amounts ranging from €1,800 to €2,700 to the criminal organisation.

The Famagusta district court stressed in its ruling that the convicted individual actively participated, for financial remuneration, in a structured group of migrant smugglers with international operations extending to Syria, Lebanon and Cyprus.

The case was handled by the public prosecutor Adamos Demosthenous, who pursued the charges on behalf of the state.