Cash slipping into Cyprus via customs

Cyprus’ Customs Department, along with the island’s Unit for Combating Money Laundering (MOKAS) and the police, addressed the issue of money laundering controls in the Republic of Cyprus during a session held on Wednesday by the Parliamentary Institutions Committee.

This discussion was prompted by a case involving a 31-year-old Ukrainian woman currently detained in connection with an ongoing investigation into a suspected money laundering scheme.

During the session, Demetris Demetriou, the chairman of the committee and deputy for right-wing DISY, disclosed that more than 100 million euros in cash has been declared and passed through customs in recent years, based on information available to him.

However, it was noted with concern that the director of the Customs Department failed to attend the session despite being summoned, drawing criticism from committee members. Nevertheless, a department representative was present.

Left-wing AKEL MP Irini Charalambidou raised questions about the origin and destination of the money, emphasizing the need for robust monitoring mechanisms, and criticized the agencies’ joint statement on the 31-year-old, describing it as inadequate.