Asylum seekers arrested at Paphos airport with forged documents

Two women, aged 35 and 34, were arrested at Paphos airport on Sunday in connection with cases of impersonation.

According to Paphos police spokesman Michalis Nikolaou, the first incident occurred on Saturday at 2pm.

A woman intending to travel to France presented a French passport. During checks, it was found that while the passport was genuine, the photo did not match the woman presenting it.

Upon interrogation, the woman confessed that her details were different and that she was a 35-year-old asylum seeker. She was subsequently arrested for impersonation.

On Sunday, she was brought before Paphos district court, which issued a three-day remand against her.

In a second incident, on Sunday at 2.40pm, another woman also heading to France presented a French identity card while accompanied by her two-year-old child. At passport control, the French ID card was found to be genuine, but the photo did not match her appearance.

Upon interrogation, she admitted the ID card was not hers and she was a 34-year-old asylum seeker.

She was also arrested for impersonation and taken into custody. She is yet to appear in front of the Paphos district court.