NICOSIA: Police in Cyprus on Wednesday arrested five Syrian nationals suspected of being part of a crime gang involved in human trafficking, the government said.
The island, at the crossroads of three continents, has been struggling with a surge in irregular migration in recent years and arrivals by sea have risen in the past several days.
An early morning police raid in the southern district of Limassol found five Syrians and more arrests were expected, Cyprus's Presidency said in a statement. Authorities had been collecting intelligence on the suspects over several months.
"In attempting to effectively deal with the migration issue it is essential to confront trafficking rings which endanger the lives of irregular migrants attempting to enter the country," it said.
According to the U.N refugee agency UNHCR, Cyprus received 5,563 new asylum applications until the end of June 2023, compared to 21,565 for the whole of 2022.
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Cyprus detains five Syrians suspected of human trafficking
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Cyprus detains five Syrians suspected of human trafficking
- The island, at the crossroads of three continents, has been struggling with a surge in irregular migration
- Authorities had been collecting intelligence on the suspects over several months
Qatar PM holds call with Iran’s Araghchi, urges ‘immediate halt’ to attacks: statement
- Al-Thani accused Tehran of seeking to “harm its neighbors and drag them into a war that is not theirs”
DOHA: Qatar Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani held a call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday, as Tehran pressed its missile and drone campaign against Gulf states including Qatar.
Sheikh Mohammed urged “an immediate halt to these attacks,” according to a statement by Qatar’s foreign ministry and accused Tehran of seeking to “harm its neighbors and drag them into a war that is not theirs.”
Al-Thani, who is also Qatari prime minister, said Iran had “struck civilian and residential areas within the State of Qatar” despite Araghchi’s assertion “the Iranian missile attacks were directed at American interests and did not target the State of Qatar.”
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