The Minister of Maritime Affairs, Vasilis Kikilias announced the identification and filing of criminal charges against members of a criminal network of migrant smugglers involved in the tragic shipwreck of February 3 off the coast of Chios. The operation was carried out following intensive investigative work by the Coast Guard in cooperation and information exchange with international authorities.
Read: Vasilis Kikilias: We support the Coast Guard – Athens neighborhoods suffer from illegal immigration
Vasilis Kikilias’s post on developments in the Chios tragedy
«Following systematic investigation by the Coast Guard and information exchange through INTERPOL with Turkish police authorities, members of the migrant smuggling network involved in the February 3 tragedy off Chios have been identified and criminal charges have been filed. The investigation continues until the case is fully resolved. Modern smugglers are criminals who exploit desperate people, cramming them into boats without life jackets, even throwing them into the sea to escape arrest themselves. Combating these networks is a state obligation and duty of Coast Guard men and women»
Ύστερα από συστηματική έρευνα του Λιμενικού Σώματος και ανταλλαγή πληροφοριών μέσω της INTERPOL με τις τουρκικές αστυνομικές αρχές, ταυτοποιήθηκαν και ασκήθηκαν ποινικές διώξεις σε μέλη του κυκλώματος διακίνησης μεταναστών, που όπως αποδείχθηκε εμπλέκεται στην τραγωδία της 3ης…
— Vassilis Kikilias (@Vkikilias) February 27, 2026
Coast Guard briefing on the February 3 tragedy in Chios
Following updates regarding the February 3, 2026 search and rescue incident in the Myrsinidi sea area, off Chios, which tragically resulted in the death of fifteen (15) foreign nationals who had departed from opposite Turkish shores in an inflatable speedboat, the Hellenic Coast Guard Headquarters announces the following:
In the context of ongoing investigations for complete case resolution and dismantling of the criminal network that organized the illegal transportation of foreign nationals, the Maritime Border Protection Directorate (DAPTHAS), following systematic collection and analysis of evidence in cooperation with the Central Port Authority of Chios, as well as information exchange through competent international authorities (INTERPOL) with Turkish police authorities in Izmir, contributed decisively to locating and identifying members of this criminal organization operating in the neighboring country. As a result of cross-border cooperation and utilization of the above evidence, criminal charges were filed by Izmir judicial authorities against a total of eight (08) individuals, members of the network, leading to the arrest of five (05) of them and imposition of restrictive conditions on the remaining three (03).
According to investigation findings, those involved held key roles in the organization’s hierarchy and operational structure. Specifically, those arrested include the owner of the speedboat used for transportation, owners and drivers of vehicles that transported the foreign nationals, as well as owners of other vehicles (escort vehicles and crane truck for towing the boat to the departure point from Turkish shores).
Meanwhile, the DAPTHAS investigation, in close cooperation with competent authorities, continues by examining the direct connection of this specific criminal organization with at least three (03) additional incidents of illegal smuggling of foreign nationals from Turkish shores to Eastern Aegean islands, which occurred from early December 2025 to the end of January this year. The Hellenic Coast Guard, guided by protection of human life at sea and securing maritime borders, through its specialized services, considers it its duty to exhaust every operational and legal possibility to combat the cross-border crime of illegal migrant smuggling, with particular emphasis on close and effective international cooperation.
