Police arrested a Vietnamese woman for illegal stay and took her to the Mennogia detention centre, where a search found her carrying thousands of euros in cash and jewellery. She could not give a sufficient explanation for where the property had come from, and was subsequently also charged in court.
The woman came to Cyprus in 2017 and spent five years in the occupied north before moving to the government-controlled areas and settling in Limassol. According to her own account, she cleaned up to three houses a day, working 10 to 12 hours, and earned around €3,000 a month. She was recently arrested by police for illegal stay and taken to a detention centre in the Limnes area, ahead of her deportation.
A check of her belongings on May 13, 2026 found €11,950 in various banknotes, jewellery worth a total of €20,000, and three mobile phones, none of which she could adequately explain.
Although no one has come forward to claim the property, she was ultimately also charged with illegal possession of property.
In her statement, she said the money was her savings from work, and that she did not issue receipts for the work she did. She added that the jewellery found in her possession was all hers.
She told the court that her former employer gave her a ring that had belonged to his late mother, while she bought two other rings from a jewellery shop in Mesa Geitonia, Limassol, for around €400 each, though she has no proof of payment and does not remember the shop’s name. She said she bought a silver cross from a shop near the marina, but does not remember its name or price either.
She also said she bought three plastic rings at a flea market for €10 each, and that the rest of the jewellery came from Vietnam and the occupied north. Although she named a jewellery shop, its owner testified he had never sold her the two rings, which date back 25 years.
Larnaca Court ruled that the property found in her possession was stolen, after finding that the cash and jewellery in her suitcase were stored in a manner not befitting items of such value. Specifically, they were wrapped in socks and tissues.
The court also noted that although the accused said she is Buddhist, the jewellery found in her possession included Christian religious symbols, such as crosses and medallions bearing the Virgin Mary.
The court found that the evidence, taken together, objectively established a reasonable suspicion. It ruled that the property found in her possession was stolen property. Sentencing is pending, along with a decision on what will happen to the property.
The woman had admitted the illegal stay charge but denied the illegal possession charge, which is why a hearing was held.
