Money-laundering suspicions after theft

Cyprus’ anti-money laundering unit (Mokas) may be roped in to investigate the case of the Ukrainian woman who was remanded after reporting a €420,000 robbery.

Police now fear there may be a broader money-laundering network at play and Europol along with Interpol may be called to assist in the case.

Reports on Monday suggested Cypriot law enforcement authorities were broadening their investigations into money transfers to Cyprus from Ukrainian nationals.

Neither police spokesman Christos Andreou nor the customs office were available for comment to the Cyprus Mail.

According to Philenews, the criminal investigations department (CID) is looking into previous cases of similar nature.

One concerns a retired Ukrainian national who attempted to come to Cyprus with a large sum of money in November. German newspaper Bild published an article in January specifying a 66-year-old Ukrainian national who tried to travel from Munich to Larnaca but was arrested before his flight.

He declared he had €300 but €455,000 in cash was found in his luggage.

German customs noticed suspicious activity and stopped the 66-year-old for inspection before boarding. He was arrested for not declaring the full sum of money.

The 31-year-old woman who reported she had been robbed of €420,000 in cash on Friday was arrested for money laundering afterwards.

The woman, who is believed to be a Ukrainian national, appeared before the Nicosia district court on Saturday accused of having illegally brought over €6 million in cash to Cyprus between last August and Friday.

She was remanded for five days. The woman declared the money to the customs department on her arrivals to the island, but police now believe her explanations for the money to be “insufficient”.

The other case concerns the north, where a Russian national was reportedly killed at a photo studio in Kyrenia. Police arrested a Ukrainian couple and another Russian individual.

The victim reportedly had a large sum of money in a bag, which was never found after his death.