Jordanian found in boot at checkpoint

A TURKISH Cypriot man was arrested yesterday after attempting to cross over to the free areas with an illegal immigrant in his car boot.

Police stopped the 25-year-old man for a routine check as he was passing through the Ayios Dhometios checkpoint.

It was then that they became aware of a Jordanian in the boot, who after seeing the police attempted to flee.

Officers managed to immobilise him and he produced a number of documents to confirm his identity.

Investigations showed that the documents were fake and that the man had recently been denied entry into Cyprus by Immigration Department.

The two men were arrested and remanded in custody.

Under questioning, the Jordanian told police he had arrived in the occupied areas on March 23, via Turkey. He claimed he had paid the Turkish Cypriot $1,700 to smuggle him into the free areas.

He also told police that he had visited Cyprus in 2003 and produced fake documents, which secured him temporary residency on the island.

Nicosia CID is investigating the case.

The Cyprus Mail is the only English-language daily newspaper published in Cyprus. It was established in 1945 and today, with its popular and widely-read website, the Cyprus Mail is among the most trusted news sites in Cyprus. The newspaper is not affiliated with any political parties and has always striven to maintain its independence. Over the past 70-plus years, the Cyprus Mail, with a small dedicated team, has covered momentous events in Cyprus’ modern history, chronicling the last gasps of British colonial rule, Cyprus’ truncated independence, the coup and Turkish invasion, and the decades of negotiations to stitch the divided island back together, plus a myriad of scandals, murders, and human interests stories that capture the island and its -people. Observers describe it as politically conservative.