According to the coast guard, officers initially spotted the speedboat off the Therma area of Kos. When its pilot realized he had been detected, he accelerated and attempted to change course to escape.

A pursuit followed, with the coast guard crew issuing repeated visual and audible signals ordering the vessel to stop. The operator ignored the warnings and instead performed dangerous maneuvers, allegedly attempting to collide with the patrol boat.

The two vessels eventually made contact, with their inflatable side tubes touching. Coast Guard officers then fired warning shots into a safe direction, prompting the speedboat to stop.

All 30 people aboard were rescued and transferred to the port of Kos.

A 28-year-old Afghan national was arrested after being identified by the other passengers as the suspected smuggler. He faces charges including migrant smuggling, participation in a criminal organization and illegal entry into Greece.

The speedboat was confiscated, while the Kos Port Authority is conducting a preliminary investigation.

A series of dangerous encounters in the eastern Aegean

The incident is the latest in a series of confrontations between migrant-smuggling speedboats and Greek Coast Guard patrol vessels in the eastern Aegean, where operators have repeatedly been accused of ignoring orders to stop and attempting to evade interception through dangerous maneuvers.

In February 2026, a collision between a speedboat carrying approximately 40 third country nationals and a Coast Guard patrol vessel off Chios resulted in 15 deaths and dozens of injuries. According to the Coast Guard’s account, the speedboat operator ignored visual and audible warnings and struck the patrol vessel during an attempt to escape. The migrant boat capsized and sank.

The incident prompted a major search-and-rescue operation and an official investigation into the circumstances of the collision. A Moroccan national identified by survivors as the alleged smuggler was arrested.

In June 2026, another prolonged pursuit unfolded off Chios after a Coast Guard patrol vessel detected a speedboat traveling at high speed from Turkish territorial waters toward the Greek coastline. The operator ignored repeated signals to stop and accelerated to approximately 50 knots. The pursuit, involving several patrol vessels and a Coast Guard helicopter, ended near the islet of Keros, where 15 Syrian third country nationals were found aboard.

Also in June, Coast Guard officers pursued a speedboat off Agathonisi after its operator ignored orders to stop. The vessel eventually ran aground in a rocky coastal area, allowing its passengers to disembark and flee. Authorities subsequently located 32 third country nationals and arrested a 46-year-old Iraqi national identified by the passengers as their smuggler.