Greek authorities rescued 29 migrants from a boat in the sea area north of Gavdos, while two people were arrested on suspicion of involvement in a separate migrant smuggling case on Naxos.
According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, the boat carrying the migrants was located around 50 nautical miles north-northeast of Gavdos after being detected by a FRONTEX drone.
The rescue operation was coordinated by Greece’s Joint Rescue Coordination Center, and the 29 foreign nationals were safely taken aboard a Danish-flagged commercial vessel sailing in the area.
They are being transferred to the port of Souda, on the island of Crete.
Two arrested on Naxos over alleged migrant smuggling
In a separate operation, authorities from the Naxos Port Authority arrested two Greek nationals, aged 74 and 71, who are accused of involvement in the illegal transport of 15 migrants.
The arrests followed a wider operation to locate and pursue a speedboat, which was completed on June 12 near the island of Keros.
During the preliminary investigation, authorities found that the 74-year-old was allegedly carrying and presenting a fake Cypriot identity document, as well as a forged speedboat operator’s license.
Both men were identified by the 15 migrants who were on board the vessel as the people who transported them.
A case file was opened against the two suspects for violations of legislation concerning the transport of irregular migrants. The 74-year-old also faces additional charges, including disobedience, forgery, endangerment and transporting more passengers than permitted.
Two mobile phones found in their possession were confiscated and are being examined as part of the investigation.
The 15 migrants found on the speedboat have been transferred to temporary accommodation on Naxos and are expected to be moved to a reception center on mainland Greece. The investigation by the Naxos Port Authority remains ongoing.
