POLICE have uncovered a college network scam, by which immigrants seeking work were brought to Cyprus with forged student documents by a Nicosia college.
According to police, 21 Sri-Lankan nationals were stopped at Larnaca airport on Sunday, while trying to enter Cyprus with forged documents, after a flight from Amman.
The issue of immigrants posing as students, in order to come to Cyprus, has been an ongoing phenomenon for years. With student visas being easier to secure than employment clearance for non-EU foreigners, some private colleges have been thought to facilitate the influx of immigrant workers by seemingly registering them on their courses. The immigrants then work illegally while not attending college.
A total of 36 Sri-Lankans boarded the flight to Cyprus from Amman, in possession of student visas and documents with school certificates and an analytical break-down of their grades. After a thorough police inspection, 21 were found bearing forged documents.
In voluntary statements two allegedly confessed to being in possession of forged documents and explicitly outlined the procedure by which they obtained them.
Police spokesman, Michalis Katsounotos said from a preliminary investigations, the compilation of the documents was made in accordance and cooperation with the Sri Lankan consulate in Cyprus.
The remaining 19 denied any involvement or knowledge of the forgery and were denied entry into Cyprus. They were sent back to Sri Lanka later on Sunday.
Meanwhile, after obtaining an warrant police arrested a 26-year-old Sri-Lankan who was waiting along with another eight people to pick up the 36 immigrants.
In his voluntary statement, the 26-year-old revealed that he was cooperating with a 57-year-old Greek-Cypriot who co-owns a private college in Nicosia. He also stated that it was the two of them who prepared the forged documents and arranged the arrival of the ‘students’. The 57-year-old was arrested later.
After investigating the other eight people, police discovered that two of them were in Cyprus illegally. They were subsequently arrested pending deportation.
Both the 26-year-old and the 57-year-old were remanded by the Nicosia District court for eight days.
They are expected to face charges of: conspiracy to commit felony and misdemeanour, circulation of forged documents and ensuring registration under false pretences.
