The Larnaca Criminal Court has sentenced a 32-year-old Ukrainian woman to 20 months in prison after she brought almost €8 million into Cyprus over 20 separate trips. According to information obtained by the Cyprus News Agency (CNA), the 32-year-old was found guilty of charges relating to false declarations she made to the Customs Department.
The same information states that, at an earlier hearing, the Permanent Criminal Court had ruled that the evidence before it did not establish criminal activity, and on that basis had acquitted the defendant of 20 charges of money laundering, which carry a sentence of up to 14 years in prison. At the same time, the court had also acquitted a 43-year-old Ukrainian man of the money laundering charge, after he was alleged to have received a package of money on one occasion.
The case came to light on 1 March 2024, after the 32-year-old reported to police that she had been the victim of a robbery in Limassol by unknown assailants on a motorcycle, who, she said, snatched €420,000 from her.
Investigations followed that led to the 32-year-old's arrest, after it became clear that, from August 2023 to March 2024, she had travelled to Cyprus 20 times, bringing in a total of €7,769,300. The 43-year-old man was subsequently arrested as well, after receiving a package from the 32-year-old on 1 March, which was alleged to contain money that the motorcycle riders had dropped.
Among the mitigating factors taken into account by the court were, the fact that she had declared the money and that she is the mother of two minor children.
Source: CNA
