A 57-year-old man suspected of internet fraud and money laundering was extradited to Cyprus on Tuesday following his arrest in Italy last September.

The arrest was part of a joint operation involving Cypriot, Romanian and Italian authorities.

A European arrest warrant was issued in March after an investigation by Limassol police uncovered evidence linking the suspect to the crime.

The case was reported to Limassol customs by the CEO of a Limassol-based company. The company, cooperating with a foreign partner, transferred $35,120 to a bank account in Romania to settle an invoice.

However before the payment, the company received an email mimicking the partner’s address, claiming the payment account had changed. The email included new Romanian bank account details, to which the sum had been subsequently transferred.

After the transfer, the foreign partner confirmed they had not changed their account, and the Romanian account did not belong to them.

Romanian authorities helped identify the beneficiary of the fraudulent account.

The suspect was arrested in Italy under the European warrant, and after a court approved his extradition, Cypriot police officers flew to Italy to escort him back. Upon arrival at Larnaca airport, he was formally arrested with a court warrant.

Limassol police are continuing their investigation.