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Old Armenian woman trying to smuggle jewelry in underwear arrested in Cyprus
March 31, 2012 - 13:32 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A wheelchair-bound 83-year-old woman, underwear
stuffed with jewelry, was arrested, along with three others for
allegedly trying to smuggle stolen goods out of Cyprus late on
Thursday, March 29.
Cyprus Mail reported that three Armenian women, including the
83-year-old, and a Cypriot man, 41, were remanded for five days by the
Larnaca District Court.
When she appeared in court yesterday, the 83-year-old grandmother had
seemingly abandoned the use of the wheelchair and walked into the
courthouse on her own.
The four are being investigated for allegedly committing a felony,
theft and the illegal possession of property.
They were arrested after a Larnaca airport security guard who was
patting down the old lady discovered a number of items of jewelry
stashed in her underwear with the price tags still attached.
The 83-year-old arrived at the airport in a wheelchair and checked in
a little after 7pm.
She was going to be on the same flight with a friend - a 36-year-old
woman - and the wife of her grandson - a 24 year old who was being
extradited out of Cyprus.
The latter arrived at the airport under police escort, while the other
two women had packed for her and carried her bags for her, Larnaca
police spokesman Christos Andreou said.
But the 83-year-old was searched when she was going through security.
`A female guard on duty at the control discovered jewelry meticulously
hidden in her possession,' Andreou said. He said police suspected she
was only in the wheelchair to try and avoid a search.
The grandmother also had clothes, shoes, jewels, watches, perfumes and
electronic goods in her hand luggage.
The 83-year-old claimed the other two women had given her the jewelry.
Authorities then searched the 36-year-old's luggage and found
perfumes, clothes, sunglasses and electronic goods, with the price
tags still attached.
The 24-year-old also had a large quantity of new clothes in her luggage.
`They all blamed each other,' Andreou said adding that `eventually
they claimed to have bought everything'.
The police said that none of the three women gave a satisfactory
explanation of how they came by the items.
The 41-year-old man was arrested after one of the women implicated him.
All four deny any wrongdoing.
Andreou seized the opportunity to urge people to be vigilant when in
crowded places where pickpockets lurk.
From: A. Papazian
March 31, 2012 - 13:32 AMT
PanARMENIAN.Net - A wheelchair-bound 83-year-old woman, underwear
stuffed with jewelry, was arrested, along with three others for
allegedly trying to smuggle stolen goods out of Cyprus late on
Thursday, March 29.
Cyprus Mail reported that three Armenian women, including the
83-year-old, and a Cypriot man, 41, were remanded for five days by the
Larnaca District Court.
When she appeared in court yesterday, the 83-year-old grandmother had
seemingly abandoned the use of the wheelchair and walked into the
courthouse on her own.
The four are being investigated for allegedly committing a felony,
theft and the illegal possession of property.
They were arrested after a Larnaca airport security guard who was
patting down the old lady discovered a number of items of jewelry
stashed in her underwear with the price tags still attached.
The 83-year-old arrived at the airport in a wheelchair and checked in
a little after 7pm.
She was going to be on the same flight with a friend - a 36-year-old
woman - and the wife of her grandson - a 24 year old who was being
extradited out of Cyprus.
The latter arrived at the airport under police escort, while the other
two women had packed for her and carried her bags for her, Larnaca
police spokesman Christos Andreou said.
But the 83-year-old was searched when she was going through security.
`A female guard on duty at the control discovered jewelry meticulously
hidden in her possession,' Andreou said. He said police suspected she
was only in the wheelchair to try and avoid a search.
The grandmother also had clothes, shoes, jewels, watches, perfumes and
electronic goods in her hand luggage.
The 83-year-old claimed the other two women had given her the jewelry.
Authorities then searched the 36-year-old's luggage and found
perfumes, clothes, sunglasses and electronic goods, with the price
tags still attached.
The 24-year-old also had a large quantity of new clothes in her luggage.
`They all blamed each other,' Andreou said adding that `eventually
they claimed to have bought everything'.
The police said that none of the three women gave a satisfactory
explanation of how they came by the items.
The 41-year-old man was arrested after one of the women implicated him.
All four deny any wrongdoing.
Andreou seized the opportunity to urge people to be vigilant when in
crowded places where pickpockets lurk.
From: A. Papazian