1st LD, Writethru: Cyprus rescues 114 Syrian refugees

Cypriot authorities rescued 114 Syrian refugees, including 30 children and five infants, in a fishing boat drifting off the shores of Cyprus, the authorities said on Sunday.

The refugees fled their homeland due to the lingering civil war and drifted 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) off the shores of the eastern Mediterranean island.

An official statement said an overnight rescue operation was carried out after a cargo ship alerted the Cypriot Search and Rescue Center on Saturday night saying that it had received a signal from the drifting fishing boat seeking help.

It added that aircraft and vessels of the Cypriot navy and police took part in the operation, which was completed early Sunday morning.

The Syrians were brought early on Sunday morning to the southeastern port city of Larnaca and were received by medical teams and social welfare workers.

"All necessary measures are being taken for the welfare of the refugees in line with European Union directives," said Interior Minister Socrates Hasikos, who headed the operation.

Sources said that the police are questioning three people for suspected human trafficking, with one of them thought to be the captain of the boat.

Some refugees said they paid more than 4,000 U.S. dollars each to be taken to Europe.

Cyprus, the most southeastern European soil, has not seen a major influx of refugees from Syria's conflict, with most preferring to bypass the island in favor of reaching the European mainland.

But it is sometimes used as a "dump point" by human traffickers who know that they cannot make it further west in the small fishing boats they use to carry the refugees.

In September 2014, Cypriot authorities rescued 350 Syrians from a fishing boat which sent out a distress signal in rough seas some 75 km south of Cyprus.

The refugees are being taken to a reception center west of Nicosia. Endi