In the evening hours of October 12, 2024, a patrol boat of the Hellenic Coast Guard spotted a high-speed boat with a sufficient number of passengers moving at high speed in the sea area southeast of Leros. The crew of the patrol car used light and sound signals, to which the driver of the speedboat did not comply, developing a high speed and making dangerous maneuvers in order to escape. A chase ensued, with the speedboat running aground on a rocky shore in the ¨PALIONISOS¨ area of ​​Kalymnos, where all its occupants disembarked. 

In investigations carried out by officials of the Port Authority of Kalymnos, twenty-six foreigners (9 men, 5 women, and 11 minors) were located in the land area, who stated that they set off in the evening hours on 12-10-2024 from a coastal area near Bodrum of Turkey, paying the amount of four thousand euros (€4,000) each for their transfer to Greece. The Kalymnos Port Authority, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, arrested a 23-year-old foreigner as the trafficker of the rest for violation of article 83 of Law 3386/2005, “Illegal entry into the country,” article 25 of Law 5038/2023, ¨Facilitation,¨ and article 169 P.K., “Disobedience”, while the means of transport and a mobile telephone device were confiscated.

Between October 9-14, 2024, according to the announcements of the Hellenic Coast Guard, a total of 371 migrants arrived in Greece. 

With information from: Hellenic Coast Guard

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