Two held over stolen travellers cheques

TWO PEOPLE were remanded in custody yesterday suspected of trying to cash thousands of pounds worth of travellers cheques stolen from a UK travel agents last March.

The cheques are thought to have come from a £200,000 batch stolen from travel company Lunn Poly in the UK.

Police believe that hotel employee George Lyras, 50, from Ayia Napa, and Maria Christofi, 29, from Nicosia, tried to cash the stolen American Express travellers cheques at various local banks.

During the investigation, an American Express representative in Cyprus told police that the travellers cheques were among the £194,000 stolen from Lunn Poly travel agents in the UK, Larnaca court heard yesterday.

Christofi was arrested after she tried to cash $10,000 and £12,000 Sterling in travellers cheques using a false US passport at an Ayia Napa bank.

Lyras allegedly agreed to receive the money from the cheques, which Christofi would cash.

Police said the robbery took place on March 16 and their investigations would spread to Greece and the UK.

Two other suspects are also being sought in connection with the offence, police said.

A Larnaca court yesterday remanded the two suspects in police custody for five days.

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