Sudanese man found hidden in car trunk at crossing point between north and south Cyprus

A 20-year-old Sudanese man was discovered hidden in the trunk of a vehicle attempting to cross from north to south Cyprus through the Kermiya (Metehan) checkpoint late Tuesday night.

According to Cyprus Mail, the incident unfolded during routine random checks carried out by customs officers at the crossing. A vehicle was stopped, and during a search of the trunk, officers found the Sudanese national concealed beneath a blanket.

Senior customs officer George Constantinou told the Cyprus Mail that the man was found during random checks of vehicles crossing into the south.

At around 9pm on Tuesday, customs officers stopped a rental car driven by a Jordanian with Cypriot citizenship and found the man in the boot. 

“While checking the boot, an illegal immigrant from Sudan was found hiding under blankets in an effort to cross into the south, without passing from police control,” Constantinou said. 

Both the driver and the Sudanese man were immediately arrested, police confirmed on Wednesday. Authorities are investigating the case as an attempted human smuggling operation.

***The Metehan crossing is the busiest of the island’s checkpoints and has been the scene of several smuggling attempts in recent years, involving both goods and irregular migrants. Human smuggling across the dividing line has become an increasing concern for authorities, as Cyprus continues to face rising numbers of asylum applications, particularly from African and Middle Eastern nationals.

Officials have not yet released further details about the circumstances of the attempted crossing, nor the potential charges the suspects may face.

The arrests highlight the ongoing challenges in monitoring the Green Line, which despite heavy checks, remains a common route for irregular migration between the north and south of the island.