Police search for landlord after migrant death in Limassol

The death of the Bangladeshi migrant worker has revealed “in the most tragic way” how certain rings continue to profit off cheap labour and illegal employment, Akel charged on Thursday.

Police sources told the Cyprus Mail that efforts are underway to locate the landlord and employers of 11 Bangladeshi nationals who were living in an apartment listed as dangerous in Limassol’s city centre.

They were found to be illegal migrants in the Republic and have been detained since Wednesday’s operation.

Nonetheless, the landlord was reportedly renting out the apartment for €2,000 which was split between all 11 individuals who were crammed into the fifth-floor flat.

They were also working in restaurants and fast-food spots in Limassol, it emerged.

Officers had gone to the flat on Wednesday earlier as part of a raid operation. A 23-year-old man fell to his death while attempting to escape through a window. Another tenant, aged 22, tried to flee from the balcony but fell from a height of 7.5 metres.

He suffered extensive fractures and is still in Limassol general hospital, but his condition is improving, the Cyprus Mail has learned.

Akel called upon the justice minister and police chief to investigate whether the police complied with the law in the way in which the raid was carried out.

They emphasised the importance of transparency regarding “whether force was used, whether the apartment owner was checked and who hired the migrants illegally all this time.

Police have reiterated that they followed standard procedure during the operation and that no warrant is required for such procedures. The case has now been transferred from Limassol CID to police headquarters in Nicosia.

The nine migrants have been detained and their paperwork is being processed.