May 7, 2024

Athens News

News in English from Greece

How the Coast Guard detained a ghost boat


The ghost boat suddenly appeared first on the popular Afandou beach (next to the golf course), where it dropped off 34 illegal immigrants. She then set out on her return journey to Turkey but was ambushed by the coast guard.

For several months, the ship, owned by smugglers, “tormented” the port authorities of two countries – Greece and Italy, and sometimes Cyprus, because it had powerful outboard motors and transported illegal immigrants from Lebanon or Turkey.

The speed at which it was traveling was too fast for Coast Guard cutters. They chased after him, unable to catch up, and she literally flew at a speed of about 70 kilometers per hour.

The smuggler (and those behind him) still received between 2,000 and 5,000 euros for each migrant they transported either to the Dodecanese or Italy. The only way to catch and stop this slave trade and the “suffering” of the border guards was an ambush. As Deputy Minister for Maritime Affairs and Island Policy Yiannis Pappas told parliament yesterday, the ambush was carried out by new coast guard boats off the island of Rhodes.

The ghost boat appeared on the popular Afandos beach, where it dropped off 34 illegal immigrants overnight before setting off on its return journey to Turkey, only to be ambushed by coast guards.

The boat immediately picked up speed, but the coast guard boats pursued it. This was the first time the smuggler had found himself in such a difficult situation, and as a result, he made desperate maneuvers to escape. But there was nowhere to run, the cordon was getting tighter. And then he decided to pull his boat ashore.

At high speed he approached Kolympia, the beach, and the coast guard looked on in amazement as he tried to pull the boat onto the sand. He was immediately arrested by coast guard officers. This is a Syrian who is being interrogated for accomplices, since many times his boat started from Marmarida or Antalya.



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