NICOSIA, May 22: Some 16 people thought to be mainly from India and Pakistan were remanded in Cypriot police custody on Saturday after they were found hiding in two containers in a ship ready to sail for Greece, police said.

They were discovered on Friday afternoon aboard a Cyprus-flagged cargo ship docked at Limassol on the south coast, an hour before the ship was due to depart.

Police said they claimed to have paid up to 4,500 euros each for forged travel documents and to be taken to a European destination.

A Limassol district court remanded them in police custody for six days on charges of illegal immigration.

Police believe they have stumbled on a people-trafficking network and are looking for two suspects thought to be behind the case. One Greek Cypriot has already been arrested in connection with people trafficking.-AFP