Five foreign women tried to enter north Cyprus with fake coronavirus test

Five foreign women who tried to cross over to the north Cyprus from south Cyprus with fake coronavirus test results were arrested Greek Cypriot police said on Tuesday.

The five women from Nepal who are domestic workers, aged 26, 27, 31, 40 and 49 had gone to the Agios Dometios checkpoint at 6.20pm on Sunday to cross over to the north when they were caught.

They were reportedly on their way to search for work in the north as they were informed salaries there were higher than in the south.

In order to pass, they had to present papers showing they had tested negative for the coronavirus.

Police officers however suspected the papers were fake as they were identical and only the names had been changed.

When the lab which was supposed to have carried out the tests confirmed it had not done so, the five women were arrested.

According to a police spokesman, all five were remanded in custody for eight days by the Nicosia district court on Monday morning.

When they were questioned, the suspects claimed they received the results via email and they did not know who sent them.

Cyprus Mail