A 56‑year‑old man was arrested by police in Nicosia district in connection with a case involving the facilitation of illegal entry, transit and stay in the Republic of third‑country nationals.
According to police, at around 8:50 pm on Friday, members of the MMAD unit on patrol in the Dali-Lympia-Athienou area spotted a vehicle travelling from the buffer zone towards the government‑controlled areas.
The driver failed to stop for inspection and continued his route, before being intercepted in the Alambra area. He made a further attempt to escape, colliding with a police patrol vehicle and bringing his car to a halt.
During checks, it was found that four other individuals were in the vehicle: two women aged 32 and 29 and two minors, aged 10 and 16, all third‑country nationals. The suspect reportedly told officers he was transporting them from the occupied areas to the government‑controlled areas.
The 56‑year‑old was arrested for offences committed in flagrante and appeared before the Nicosia District Court, which issued a six‑day detention order.
The two women and the two minors were transferred to the reception centre in Kokkinotrimithia.
