The Greek coast guard intercepted a high-speed vessel carrying Syrian migrants following a lengthy pursuit that began off the island of Chios and ended near the island of Keros in the central Aegean Sea, officials said on Friday.

According to the Hellenic Coast Guard, a patrol vessel detected a suspicious speedboat traveling at high speed from Turkish territorial waters toward the Greek coastline during the morning hours.

The vessel, equipped with two high-powered outboard engines, was initially spotted southeast of Chios. Under the coordination of the Coast Guard’s operations center, local maritime authorities launched a large-scale response involving seven patrol boats and a coast guard helicopter.

Officials said the boat’s operator repeatedly ignored visual and audio signals ordering it to stop. Instead, the vessel accelerated to speeds of around 50 knots in an apparent attempt to evade interception.

After a pursuit lasting several hours, authorities brought the speedboat to a halt near the southeastern tip of Keros, an islet located southeast of Naxos.

A search of the vessel found 17 people on board, including a Greek national, a Cypriot national and 15 Syrian migrants consisting of three men, four women and eight minors, the Coast Guard said.

All passengers were transferred safely to coast guard vessels and transported to the port of Naxos. The speedboat was seized as part of the investigation.

The Naxos Port Authority has launched a preliminary inquiry into the incident.