Sixty foreign nationals, including 14 minors, were located aboard two Turkish-flagged sailing boats west of Kalymnos on Friday morning. Four Turkish nationals, alleged to have operated the vessels, were arrested, while both boats were seized.
The Port Authorities of Kalymnos and Leros were alerted by the Hellenic Coast Guard’s Joint Search and Rescue Coordination Centre following a request for assistance involving a vessel carrying foreign nationals in distress west of Kalymnos.
Two Coast Guard patrol boats were dispatched to the area, where they located two Turkish-flagged sailing vessels travelling while tied together.
The first boat was carrying 29 people—15 men, seven women and seven minors—while 31 people—11 men, 13 women and seven minors—were aboard the second vessel.
Both sailing boats were escorted safely to the port of Kalymnos. Those on board were subsequently transferred to the Closed Controlled Access Centre on Kos.
According to statements given to the authorities, they had departed from Bodrum on Wednesday morning. Each person reportedly paid €6,000 to offices in Türkiye for transportation to Greece.
As part of the preliminary investigation conducted by the Kalymnos Port Authority, two Turkish nationals aged 51 and 27, alleged to have operated the first vessel, were arrested. Two other Turkish nationals, aged 23 and 43, who allegedly operated the second boat, were also taken into custody.
Proceedings were initiated against them for alleged violations relating to illegal entry into the country, facilitation of unlawful transportation, exposure to danger and participation in a criminal organisation.
In addition to the two sailing boats, Coast Guard officers seized four mobile phones, 185 Turkish lira and a total of €2,610 found in the possession of the alleged smugglers. The confiscated money is expected to be deposited with Greece’s Consignment Deposits and Loans Fund.
The Hellenic Coast Guard’s Directorate of Security and Maritime Border Protection, working with the Kalymnos Port Authority, is also investigating whether those involved may be connected to other similar migrant-smuggling cases.
