Suspected migrant smuggler arrested after border chase crash injured seven
According to police, all seven passengers in the vehicle required hospital treatment after Friday’s crash in the Meriç (Evros) border region. The suspect allegedly fled the scene on foot after abandoning the damaged car.
Authorities said the arrest followed an intensive search operation launched after the incident.
Despite the construction of a high-security fence along large sections of the Meriç (Evros) frontier with Turkiye, thousands of migrants from the Middle East and Africa continue to cross into Greece illegally each year, seeking entry into the European Union. Most rely on organized smuggling networks to transport them deeper into Europe through Greece.
Police said that over the past week alone, authorities arrested 13 suspected smugglers transporting a total of 71 migrants by car from the Meriç (Evros) border area toward Selanik (Thessaloniki), a key transit point for routes leading further north and west across Europe.
According to United Nations data, more than 9,300 migrants have entered Greece illegally by land and sea so far this year. Of those, nearly 2,300 crossed through the Meriç (Evros) land border, while the island of Crete recorded the highest number of arrivals, with more than 4,100 migrants reaching its shores after crossing the Mediterranean from Libya.
In 2025, nearly 49,000 migrants arrived in Greece, while 107 people were reported dead or missing during attempted sea crossings, according to the same data.
Source:Kathimerini
