Woman who left north Cyprus with fake passport detected in Istanbul and sent back to Cyprus

An Iranian woman who was detained in Istanbul, Turkiye was sent back to north Cyprus after it was discovered that she left the country with a fake Portuguese passport.

The woman, SMH, left the TRNC via the Ercan airport at around 2:55am on Tuesday, April 30 with a Portuguese passport but was detained on arrival at Istanbul and returned back to north Cyprus.

She was arrested on her on arrival at Ercan airport and taken to court on charges of "impersonation and obtaining records by false behavior".

Police told the court that the suspect left the country at Ercan Airport at around 2.55am on April 30, 2024, with a Portuguese passports issued in the name of Iara Sofıa Dıas Amaral, which she obtained from a male person whose name she did not know for 10,000 Euros, in order to go to Belgium. 

Police stated that the suspect, who went to Turkey, was detected by the immigration police at Istanbul Airport. Istanbul police sent the suspect back to the country around 5.30pm on the same day.

Police stated that the passport was received by the Istanbul police and will be sent to the country. 

Police said that the investigation was continuing and requested that the suspect be detained for 2 days.