Greek police have arrested three Greek nationals and six foreigners in a migrant smuggling crackdown. The suspected smugglers had been bringing migrants from Turkey across the Evros River to Greece for months, charging thousands of dollars per individual.
Authorities broke up a suspected smuggling gang with at least 23 members, Greek police said on Friday (October 21). Three Greek nationals and six foreigners were arrested, but a search is still on for 14 suspected accomplices, authorities added.
The migrants were picked up by smugglers after crossing the Greek-Turkish border and brought to the port of Thessaloniki in stolen vehicles. The gang is accused of bringing migrants from Turkey across the Evros River to Greece for months, charging $6,000 (€5,900) per individual and $1,600 for a forged passport, news agency dpa reported.
The smugglers then ordered the migrants to make further payments to different countries, with a transfer to North Macedonia costing around $1,500 or to Western Europe for $3,000.
Authorities said they also seized $900,000 in one of the gang's hideouts.
Dozens of migrants rescued in Greece
On the same day as the arrests, the Greek coastguard and a passing ship rescued 75 migrants who were traveling on a sailboat off the Peloponnese Peninsula. The Hellenic Coast Guard said they received a distress signal due to strong winds. The coastguard then transported the migrants to the coastal village of Neapolis.
The migrants who were said to have left Turkey had planned on reaching Italy, it was initially unclear from which countries they originated, dpa reported.
The Greek coastguard says it has rescued about 1,500 people in the first eight months of 2022, up from less than 600 last year.
Greece, Italy and Spain are among the first ports of call for migrants fleeing the African continent and the Middle East – who seek better lives in the European Union.
With DPA and AFP