counterfeit

Greek Cypriot arrested in north in fake passport case

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Greek Cypriot arrested in north in fake passport case

A Greek Cypriot man appeared in court in the north for his part in a case involving third country nationals allegedly traveling to and from the north using fake passports. The police understood upon receiving the passport that it was counterfeit. The passenger ran off and re-entered the north via a military base. The Greek Cypriot man claimed he was approached at a petrol station and offered money to take the passenger to the Republic. The police found the hire car used in the incident in Trikomo and arrested both brothers who were in the car.

Four arrested for crossing attempt from north with fake ID cards

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Four arrested for crossing attempt from north with fake ID cards

Four people in the north were accused of attempting to coordinate a crossing to the Republic using counterfeit German identity cards. They had obtained the identity cards in Turkey and had traveled to the north as tourists.

Consumers warned about internet shopping platform

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Consumers warned about internet shopping platform

The Cypriot Union of Consumers and Quality of Life has warned consumers about purchasing items from the internet platform Temu, which does not respect European consumer safety legislation. The organisation calls on the government consumer protection service to investigate the platform and take measures. Temu was hit with a European Union complaint over a potential breach of online content rules under the EU’s Digital Services Act. BEUC lodged a grievance with the European Commission and 17 of its members in various countries also filed complaints with their national authorities against Temu for using manipulative practices and breaching the EU’s Digital Services Act.

WHO says wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup ‘likely’

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WHO says wider alert on contaminated J&J cough syrup ‘likely’

The World Health Organization is likely to issue a wider warning about contaminated Johnson and Johnson-made children’s cough syrup found in Nigeria last week. Nigeria’s regulator recalled a batch of Benylin syrup due to high levels of diethylene glycol. The contaminant has been linked to the deaths of more than 300 children in other countries since 2022, though not linked to the new recalls. Five other African countries have also pulled the product from shelves. The WHO is collaborating with the manufacturer and regulatory authority in South Africa to investigate the source of the contamination.

Fake diplomas scandal in north spreads to military

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Fake diplomas scandal in north spreads to military

The Turkish Cypriot community is facing a scandal involving fake university diplomas and corruption, which has now affected the security forces’ command. Lieutenant Colonel Özgür Alp was remanded in custody for using a fake diploma for promotion within the Turkish military. The fake diploma was claimed to be from the Cyprus Health and Social Sciences University in Morphou. A high-ranking police officer, Serif Avcil, was also arrested over a fake diploma. This scandal is part of larger issues involving the KSTU university in Morphou, with allegations of embezzlement and fraud through fake student registrations and diplomas. The university is owned by Levent Uysal, a deputy in the Turkish Grand National Assembly. Celebi Ilik, involved in the scandal, used fake diplomas for civil service promotions and is facing charges related to forgery. Uysal attempted to obtain a €45 million loan from Swiss IntaCapital bank with fake documents in 2022 but avoided judicial proceedings by getting elected to parliament in May 2023. Turgay Avci, chairman of the Turkish Cypriot higher education watchdog Yodak, is under investigation for possibly having a fake diploma. There are also allegations against Dunya Baris Universitesi for operating illegally and investigations into irregularities in a real estate purchase by Altinbas Holding. Ali Altınbaş and Sofu Altınbaş were detained in September 2020 for involvement in a fuel profiteering network and accused of establishing a criminal organisation, aggravated fraud, and forgery.

Spanish police crack counterfeit 100-euro note operation

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Spanish police crack counterfeit 100-euro note operation

Spanish police arrested 14 individuals for producing and distributing counterfeit 100 euro bank notes valued at one million euros, which were undetectable by ATMs and other devices. The counterfeit notes, described as very high quality due to the use of special inks, watermarks, and other elements, were distributed by a gang of Pakistani origin based in Naples, Rome, and Barcelona across Italy, France, Greece, and Spain. Arrests included individuals carrying 70,000 euros in counterfeit notes at Barcelona airport and the city bus station. The operation, involving forces from Spain, Italy, and Greece, began in November after the discovery of a large number of counterfeit notes in Barcelona.