Ten migrant smugglers were arrested on Saturday (22/08) and Sunday (23/08) by authorities in the regions of Rhodope and Evros. Specifically, police officers from the Rhodope, Alexandroupolis, and Orestiada Police Directorates arrested ten smugglers — nine of whom were foreign nationals and one a Greek citizen — who were transporting undocumented migrants into the country’s interior across seven separate incidents.
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Ten migrant smugglers handcuffed — 8 separate cases in just a few hours
In more detail, as reported by the Athens News Agency, in the first case, on the morning of Saturday, August 22, on the Alexandroupolis–Sapes national highway, officers from the Sapes Border Guard Unit arrested a foreign national who was driving a private vehicle and illegally transporting four undocumented migrants into the country’s interior.
High-speed chases and smuggler arrests
In the second case, on Saturday afternoon in a settlement in Rhodope, the same officers arrested a foreign national who was driving a private vehicle and illegally transporting five undocumented migrants into the country. Notably, the driver-smuggler ignored police signals to stop and continued driving at high speed in a dangerous manner. The vehicle was ultimately immobilized after crashing into a pickup truck and a nearby electricity pole, and the suspect was arrested without any injuries reported.
In the third case, on Saturday morning in a settlement in Evros, officers from the Soufli Border Guard Unit arrested a Greek national who was found driving a private vehicle and illegally transporting four undocumented migrants into the country. In an attempt to evade arrest, the driver-smuggler performed dangerous maneuvers and collided with a police vehicle — with no injuries — before attempting to flee on foot, ultimately failing and being apprehended.
In the fourth case, on Saturday afternoon in a settlement in Evros, officers from the Soufli unit arrested a foreign national who was driving a private vehicle and illegally transporting five undocumented migrants into the country’s interior.
In the fifth case, in the early morning hours of Sunday on the Egnatia highway between Kipoi and Alexandroupolis, officers from the Feres Border Guard Unit arrested a foreign national who was found driving a private vehicle and illegally transporting three undocumented migrants into the country.
In the sixth case, on Saturday morning near a settlement in Evros, officers from the Metaxades Border Guard Unit arrested a foreign national who was found driving a private vehicle and illegally transporting six undocumented migrants into the country’s interior.
In the seventh case, on Saturday evening in a settlement in Evros, the same officers arrested two foreign nationals who were traveling in a private vehicle and illegally transporting five undocumented migrants into the country.
In the eighth case, on Saturday evening at the northern interchange of Didymoteicho, officers from the Orestiada Border Guard Unit arrested two foreign female nationals who were traveling in a private vehicle and illegally transporting four undocumented migrants into the country’s interior.
The vehicles involved were seized, along with a sum of money and mobile phones. The arrested individuals were brought before the competent prosecutors, while the preliminary investigations into all eight cases were conducted by the Border Guard Units of Sapes (Rhodope), Soufli, Tychero, Feres (Alexandroupolis), Didymoteicho, and Orestiada.
