Agency owner arrested as new visa scandal unfolds

Cyprus Police have arrested an agency owner in Limassol in connection with an investigation into document fraud, after it emerged that foreign delivery drivers had sought to obtain or renew permits through his office.

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According to local media, a 57-year-old agency owner in Limassol was arrested on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into immigration document fraud concerning 20 foreign nationals, three of whom have been arrested.

The case comes as immigration scandals are piling up one after another in the Republic of Cyprus, where it emerged recently that foreign nationals often resorted to paying middlemen to get access to state services amid strict rules and procedures.

Limassol police this week obtained arrest warrants for 20 foreign nationals, after a transport official in the southern town inadvertently discovered there were irregularities with their pending applications to obtain or renew driver learner permits.

But it quickly emerged that the suspects, all delivery drivers and three of whom were remanded in custody, claimed they had paid a middleman up to €1000 to secure a new or updated driver’s permit and further said they had nothing to do with fake documents submitted on their behalf.

Police did not issue a report about the latest arrest but local media said the male suspect, who owns an agency, has denied any involvement.

Limassol transport officials described the suspects’ documents as expired but their immigration status was not immediately clear.

The case comes just ten days after immigration authorities scrapped an online appointment platform, when allegations made public suggested agents had been selling available slots to foreigners for profit and causing months of waiting for those who did not shell out the cash.