More remanded for people smuggling

Two more young men have been remanded as suspects for people smuggling close to 500 migrants, the Famagusta District Court said on Friday.

For the case surrounding the arrival of six migrant boats on Monday, carrying 458 people, a total of eight individuals have now been remanded into custody.

The two men remanded on Friday, aged 20 and 24, were aboard the second and third of the six boats that arrived.

On Thursday, Famagusta District Court remanded two more Syrian men, aged 29 and 27, who were arrested on Wednesday as human smuggling suspects following the arrival of the six boats, police said on Thursday.

They were remanded for eight days.

The migrants were initially escorted to safety at the Ayia Napa marina where their details were registered.

The boats carried a total of 30, 24, 62, 37, 22 and 283 people, of whom 258 men, 44 women, 123 children and 33 unaccompanied minors.

According to the police, the six boats set off from Lebanon, and the passengers paid $3,000 each for the journey to an unknown individual.