Three illegal migrants remanded for identity theft

Three people are detained on suspicion of identity theft, illegal entry and stay in the republic, police said on Wednesday.

The first person was arrested at Paphos international airport around 10am on Monday, before her departure for France. Suspicions were raised during passport check, when the woman presented a French passport, police said.

Following further examinations, the Congolese woman admitted to the police that the ID card was given to her by an unknown man of African descent in Larnaca.

On the same flight, was a man of African descent who showed a Belgian ID during passport check which was also suspected to be fake, police said.

During his statement to the police, the man admitted that the document was not his but said he found it on the ground somewhere in Larnaca.

The third person concerns a woman of African descent who was arrested at 10.30am on Monday at the same airport after showing a Belgian ID which was authentic but had been declared lost.

The woman admitted to committing identity theft.

Paphos district court remanded the suspects for three days on Tuesday, as police continue investigations.

On Monday, three more people were arrested at Paphos and Larnaca international airports after attempting to depart Cyprus using fake travel documents or documents that did not belong to them.  The three were also remanded for three days on Monday.