Woman who was robbed of €420,000 hours after arriving in Cyprus staged the robbery

Reports emerging from south Cyprus claimed that a 31 year old Ukrainian woman who was allegedly robbed of €420,000 cash she was carrying in her bag staged the robbery.

On Friday, March, 1, a 31-year-old foreign woman was robbed outside a coastal cafeteria in Yermasoyia in Limassol, south Cyprus just two hours after arriving in Cyprus carrying t€420,000 in cash in her purse.

The woman, reported to be from Ukraine claimed he had arrived in Limassol by taxi from the airport with the money and had declared the money to the customs department.

After leaving the taxi, she was robbed by a group of people that grabbed her bag and fled the scene on foot.

The woman was arrested on charges of participating in a criminal organisation, participating in committing crimes and conspiracy to commit a felony and money laundering to the tune of 6 million euro in just six months and detained on Saturday for 5 days over money laundering. 

During interrogation, she presents various claims such as giving the money she brought to Cyprus to a friendly person, without, however, providing further information.

On Sunday, reports emerged that she staged the robbery on Friday noon with other individuals as a cover up to the person who gave her the money. Her plans completely backfired and following evidence and her own ambivalent testimony.

Authorities are now looking for a number of accomplices.

Evidence suggest that the 31 year old repeatedly travelled to Cyprus between August 2023 and March 2024 as a tourist, declaring the transfer of large amounts of cash during her arrival at the Larnaca and Paphos airports, including the 420 thousand in her possession on Friday.