Four suspected migrant smugglers arrested near Greece-Türkiye border
Greek authorities have arrested four suspected migrant smugglers near the country's northeastern border with Türkiye after they were allegedly caught transporting migrants in overcrowded vehicles, police said Tuesday.
According to a police statement, the suspects — one Greek national and three foreign nationals — were detained in four separate incidents on Monday. Authorities said the four drivers were transporting a total of 24 migrants.
In one case, police found 10 people, including the driver, inside a vehicle designed to carry no more than five passengers.
Meriç (Evros) remains key migration route
The arrests took place near the Meriç (Evros) River border region, a major entry point for irregular migrants seeking to reach Europe despite increased border security measures.
Greece has erected fencing along large sections of its land border with Türkiye, but thousands of migrants continue to cross the area each year, many relying on smuggling networks to travel further into Europe.
Thousands continue to arrive in Greece
Greek authorities say more than 15,000 migrants have arrived in the country by land and sea so far this year. Of those, over 3,100 entered through the Meriç (Evros) border region.
The largest number of arrivals has been recorded on the Greek island of Crete, where around 8,000 migrants have landed after making the sea crossing from eastern Libya in small boats.
Source:Kathimerini
