A 21-year-old woman who attempted to depart the island with a stolen passport has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

The woman arrived at Paphos international airport at around 7.40pm on Tuesday and attempted to board a flight presenting a French passport.

Paphos CID chief and police spokesman Michalis Nicolaou said officers who checked the travel document found that it was genuine, however, the woman depicted in the photo differed from the suspect.

During questioning, the woman admitted she was from an African country, Nicolaou added.

She was arrested on suspicion of impersonation.