Five more boats with migrants arrived in Cyprus: four human traffickers arrested

Last Sunday, five more boats with illegal migrants arrived in Cyprus. In total, 271 people attempted to illegally reach the island.

According to the police press service, five vessels with illegal migrants were detected by radar off the coast of Cape Greco on Sunday afternoon. The arrival of boats with migrants was not unexpected for law enforcement agencies. The police had been warned in advance that ships with illegal migrants had set sail from the shores of Lebanon. Nevertheless, the operation to detain the boats and bring them ashore took several hours.

The first boat carried 21 people, the second 179, the third 27, the fourth 24, and the fifth 20. Among the arrivals are children.

It is reported that the migrants arrived from Syria. They set sail from the Lebanese coast as soon as the weather allowed.

271 migrants safely arrived at the port of Golden Beach, where all relevant protocols were activated.

After the completion of the data registration process, they were taken to the "Pournara" Temporary Accommodation Center for Migrants in Kokkinotrimithia.

Four individuals have already been arrested for the arrival of the five boats, who are presumed to be the organizers of the human trafficking operation. The police do not rule out the possibility that the number of detainees may increase.