A multi-hour chase of a speedboat carrying 15 migrants of Syrian nationality – three men, four women and eight minors – was carried out in the early hours of Friday (12/6) by the Hellenic Coast Guard. The detection and pursuit operation began from the sea area southeast of Chios to the island of Keros, southeast of Naxos. Meanwhile, according to the Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, the competent authorities proceeded to arrest a Greek and a Cypriot smuggler on the island of Keros after the completion of the operation.
Read: Crete: Two smuggler arrests after migrant arrival, one of whom is 18 years old
Multi-hour chase of speedboat carrying 15 foreigners
Specifically, the suspicious speedboat, which had two high-horsepower outboard engines, was spotted moving at high speed from Turkish territorial waters towards the Greek coast, according to the Coast Guard. For the incident, the competent port authorities, seven Coast Guard patrol boats, as well as a helicopter were immediately mobilized, under the coordination of the operations center of the Hellenic Coast Guard Headquarters.
During the chase, the speedboat operator repeatedly ignored the visual and audio signals of the coast guard forces and developed speeds reaching 50 knots, attempting to escape.
After a multi-hour operation, the speedboat was immobilized at the southeastern tip of Keros island. During the inspection it was found that a Greek and a Cypriot were aboard the vessel, as well as 15 Syrian nationals. All passengers were transferred to a coast guard vessel and safely transported to the port of Naxos, while the speedboat was confiscated.
The preliminary investigation of the case has been undertaken by the Naxos Port Authority, which is examining the circumstances of the incident.
Kikilias: A Greek and a Cypriot were arrested
The Minister of Shipping and Island Policy, Vassilis Kikilias, congratulated the Coast Guard for this specific operation with a post on his X account: “In the early hours of today, 7 patrol boats and a Coast Guard helicopter participated in a detection and pursuit operation in the Aegean.
Result: arrest of a Greek and a Cypriot smuggler on the island of Keros, with 15 migrants, including women and 8 minors, rescued and safely transported to Naxos.
Congratulations to the men and women of the Coast Guard. To the personnel who never sleep, who never retreat, who do their job, protecting our borders under difficult conditions both night and day.”
Τα ξημερώματα σήμερα, 7 περιπολικά σκάφη και ένα ελικόπτερο του Λιμενικού Σώματος συμμετείχαν σε μια επιχείρηση εντοπισμού και καταδίωξης στο Αιγαίο.
Αποτέλεσμα: σύλληψη ενός Έλληνα και ενός Κύπριου διακινητή στη νήσο Κέρο, με 15 μετανάστες, ανάμεσά τους γυναίκες και 8… pic.twitter.com/YMRwACiMJ1
— Vassilis Kikilias (@Vkikilias) June 12, 2026
