Ukrainian woman sentenced to 20 months in prison for false customs declarations in Cyprus

The Larnaca Permanent Assize Court sentenced a 32-year-old Ukrainian woman to 20 months in prison for providing false statements to the Customs Department. Between August 2023 and March 2024, the woman entered Cyprus 20 times, transporting a total of €7,769,300. The case surfaced on March 1, 2024, after the woman reported a robbery in Limassol, claiming she was robbed of €420,000 by two individuals on a motorcycle. Subsequent police investigations led to her arrest after inconsistencies in her statements were uncovered. While she was initially investigated for money laundering, the court acquitted her and a 43-year-old accomplice of these charges due to insufficient evidence of criminal activity. As mitigating factors, the court cited her two minor children and the fact that she had declared the funds upon entry. A 43-year-old man, who had allegedly received a package from the woman on March 1, was also acquitted of money laundering charges.