Police have arrested two men in connection with a suspected human trafficking case after Romanian authorities alerted Cypriot officials that a 48-year-old Romanian woman may have been held against her will at a Paphos hotel.
The woman was discovered calling for help outside Paphos airport alongside a 51-year-old man, prompting a police investigation that led to two arrests and a search for a third suspect.
Romanian authorities contacted Cyprus on Thursday, reporting that the woman had travelled to the island in recent days with the 51-year-old man and was possibly being detained at a Paphos hotel against her will.
They indicated she was expected to travel to Poland the same day.
Officers from Paphos CID initially visited the hotel mentioned in the tip-off but did not locate the woman. Later that day, police found the 48-year-old woman outside Paphos airport with the 51-year-old man, where she was calling for help.
During questioning, the woman told officers that after arriving in Cyprus with the 51-year-old man, they stayed at a city hotel where he prevented her from leaving without his accompaniment.
On two occasions, she said, he took her to a specific premises in Paphos where he forced her to meet clients of the establishment in exchange for payment.
Police arrested the 51-year-old man and a second person aged 79 under judicial warrants as part of their investigation. A third person, aged 44, remains wanted by authorities.
Both arrested individuals are expected to appear before Paphos District Court today for remand proceedings.
Paphos CID continues its investigation into the case.
