Three persons will appear before Limassol District Court on Monday for a remand order, in connection with a rescue operation by the Cypriot authorities of 115 refugees from Syria, Lebanon and Palestine who had been stranded at sea.
The three are said to be involved in the operation as the persons who organised it and carried the refugees in a small boat from Syria, heading to Europe. The captain of the boat sent a distress signal late last night, when engines failed, some 40 nautical miles south of Larnaca.
All persons on board, including women and children, were rescued by the Cypriot authorities who mounted a rescue operation with the help of civil defence, the police and the national guard, and three rescue vessels. The refugees are now hosted in reception centres and have been provided with all necessary assistance, in line with Cyprus’ international obligations.
The three persons detained by the police are aged 47, 33 and 28, and one of them is the captain of the boat. All were detained following information the police collected from the refugees.
“We are investigating criminal offences, such as conspiracy to commit a crime, against all three of them in relation to this operation,” police spokesman Andreas Aggelides said here today.
Replying to questions, he said the refugees must have paid over 3,000 euro each for the journey to what they believed would be freedom from war torn Syria.