Criminal element heading south

AN INCREASING number of people connected to the criminal world were crossing to the occupied north, either to buy drugs or visit casinos and cabarets, according to Assistant Chief of Police, Soteris Charalambous.

Speaking after a House Crime Committee meeting yesterday, Charalambous told reporters that he had informed deputies of the “very big problem” created by the lack of control on people coming to the government-controlled areas from the Pergamos and Strovilia checkpoints.

“We cannot check those that are coming from the occupied north because they come through British Bases territory, which makes intervention on our part impossible,” said Charalambous.