Police intercept two more migrant boats

Two more migrant boats were found by Cyprus’ port police in the Cape Greco area, with hundreds of people on board, police said on Sunday.

The first boat was discovered at around 3:20pm on Saturday. After reaching nine nautical miles off the coast of Cape Greco, the port police sent a ship to help tow it shore.

Onboard were 97 migrants, all of whom were registered and then sent the migrant reception centre Pournara in Kokkinotrimithia.

Police said that the second boat arrived from Tripoli, Libya with 101 migrants onboard.

The boat was picked up by radar at 1:40am, where it was found to have sustained engine trouble, 17 nautical miles off Cape Greco.

Three port police boats went to the scene, and helped the migrants, bringing them into Ayia Napa marina.

They were all registered.

Saturday’s two boat arrivals, follow another one earlier in the day, where 54 migrants were found seven nautical miles off the coast of Cape Greco.