Authorities have renewed the detention order for another seven days for the 47-year-old from Syria, who is suspected of being the smuggler of the boat found adrift off the coast of Cyprus.
The 47-year-old, who is also suspected of manslaughter following the death of a three-year-old girl who was being treated at Makarios Hospital, was brought before the Famagusta District Court in Paralimni again on Friday afternoon (2/2/24).
The Police requested the renewal of his detention order, as the investigations into the case have not yet been completed.
The suspect, who was in Cyprus two years ago and left through the occupied territories, is believed to be a member of a smuggling ring bringing migrants to our country from Lebanon.
Investigators from the Famagusta CID continue to take statements from migrants who were at risk of losing their lives after being left without food and water for days.
They reportedly stated that the 47-year-old was the captain of the boat, they set sail on January 18 from Tripoli, Lebanon, and the cost of the journey was $3,000 each.
The migrants had very little food and water with them, they said, considering that the journey to Cyprus lasted about 20 hours.
However, they said they were instructed to throw the water into the sea when they saw a commercial vessel in the area, which they believed was a member of the Cypriot Police Force.
It is noted that examinations by the Famagusta CID revealed that the wooden boat set sail without a compass, GPS, or other navigation aids, and without enough fuel.
It is recalled that a large-scale operation by the Search and Rescue Coordination Center was launched in the early hours of Wednesday, January 24, to rescue migrants, with three children and one adult being transported unconscious due to dehydration by helicopters to hospitals.
The remaining migrants were taken to Ayia Napa Marina, and seven of them, including three other children, were taken to hospitals. The three-year-old girl passed away on the morning of January 25 at Makarios Hospital.
