A Ukrainian woman who brought over almost €8 million in cash into Cyprus over a seven-month period was sentenced to 20 months in prison on Thursday after being found guilty of making false declarations to customs authorities.

The 32-year-old was convicted by the Larnaca criminal court for giving false statements to the customs department concerning funds she brought into Cyprus during 20 separate trips between August 2023 and March 2024.

The court’s decision followed an earlier ruling in which the same tribunal acquitted the woman of 20 money laundering charges, finding that prosecutors had failed to establish that the funds originated from criminal activity.

A 43-year-old Ukrainian man who had also faced money laundering allegations in connection with the case was similarly acquitted.

The investigation began after the woman reported to police on March 1, 2024, that she had been robbed of €420,000 in Limassol by two unidentified individuals travelling on a motorcycle.

Her complaint triggered an extensive inquiry into the circulation of large amounts of cash through Larnaca airport.

Investigators subsequently established that the woman had entered Cyprus 20 times over a period of approximately seven months carrying a combined total of €7,769,300 in cash.

At the outset of the investigation, authorities charged the woman with money laundering and providing false information.

Police questioned the origin of the funds after identifying inconsistencies in her explanations.

According to evidence presented during the proceedings, the woman initially stated that the money originated from a loan intended for the purchase of residential property in Cyprus.

During subsequent questioning, she reportedly provided a different explanation, telling investigators that the funds came from her personal savings.

Those contradictions formed a central element of the prosecution’s case regarding false declarations, although the court ultimately determined that there was insufficient evidence to prove the money itself was linked to criminal conduct.

The case also attracted attention after investigators alleged that, shortly after the reported robbery, the woman entered a restaurant and handed a paper bag containing cash to another individual before police arrived at the scene.

The 43-year-old man was later arrested on suspicion of receiving the package, though he was eventually cleared of money laundering allegations.

In determining sentence, the criminal court took into account several mitigating factors.

These included the fact that the woman had declared the cash to customs authorities upon her arrivals in Cyprus and that she is the mother of two minor children.