Individual held for forged documents found to have been living in north Cyprus without a residence permit

An individual who showed the police the document he forged during the police stop in Lefkosa was found to have been staying in north Cyprus illegally.

The individual, M.B., was arrested at around 11:00 PM, on December 13 during a traffic checkpoint on Şht. Mustafa Ahmet Ruso Street in Lefkoşa,

He was brought to court on charges of "Forgery of Official Documents, Circulating Forged Documents, and Residing Without Permission". 

Police in court testimony said MB who was stopped for vehicle inspection told the traffic officer that he did not have the car rental agreement with him at the time but would provide it later.

On 14 December 2024, at around 6:00 PM, the suspect went to the Traffic Branch of Lefkoşa Police Department and submitted a car rental agreement issued in the name of a company, valid between 13 December and 16 December 2024. It was revealed that the suspect had forged the document by writing his name on it and had then presented the falsified document to the traffic officer.

The police further stated that during an investigation conducted on 16 December 2024 with the car rental company operating in Lapta, it was confirmed that the vehicle in question had been rented to one J.U.W.

The officer added that on the same day, the suspect was summoned to the Lefkoşa Criminal Department, where he confessed to the crime.

A migration check revealed that the suspect had been residing in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) without a valid residence permit since 29 November 2024.

The police officer explained that the investigation is ongoing and that the handwriting and signature samples taken from the suspect will be compared with the handwriting on the rental agreement and its receipt stub, which have been taken as evidence. 

The officer requested that the suspect remain in custody for three days as part of the investigation.