A Greek Cypriot taxi driver has been remanded in custody in the occupied areas of Cyprus after allegedly smuggling two Nepalese women across the buffer zone, according to Turkish Cypriot media reports.
The driver was arrested on January 11 at the Agios Dometios checkpoint and faces charges of “first-degree military zone violation” and “human trafficking”.
According to “court testimony”, he admitted to transporting two women from Nepal into the north via a military zone near the Agios Dometios checkpoint on January 6 for €200.
The case came to light when the two women were arrested at Ercan airport on January 8 while attempting to leave, after passport control discovered they had no recorded “entry into the north”. They were subsequently charged with illegal stay.
The driver, who has been named in Turkish Cypriot media, reportedly told the “military court” that he had made a serious mistake and would not repeat it.
He has been sent to the “central prison” where he will be held for up to one month pending trial.
(information from CNA)
