Man, 25, arrested after trying to leave country with fake passport

An asylum seeker was arrested at Paphos airport on Tuesday after attempting to depart using fake travel documents.

The 25-year-old man of African descent, showed a Finnish passport while trying to board a flight to Brussels early on Tuesday.

However, suspicions were raised as to the authenticity of the document since the photo did not depict the face of the passport’s holder, police said.

The suspect admitted to the crime during police questioning and told the officers his real personal information.

Further examinations showed the 25-year-old had arrived on the island and had submitted an application for political asylum on April 22 which is still being examined.

He was arrested for forgery.