Greek authorities have arrested five men on charges of human smuggling following three separate rescue operations south of Gavdos island over the weekend, in which 5 fatalities have been reported so far, which others still believed missing.

The operations, carried out by the Hellenic Coast Guard, rescued a total of 124 migrants from the Mediterranean waters. Among the rescued were individuals from Syria, Egypt, Sudan, Yemen, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, many of whom had paid smugglers substantial sums to reach Europe.

The arrested individuals, ranging in age from 18 to 46, were detained during operations targeting smuggling networks exploiting migrants attempting to cross into Greece from Libya.

  • Operation 1: 40 Nautical Miles South of Gavdos
    A Malta-flagged freighter rescued 47 men adrift in a small vessel. Two men, aged 46 and 22, were identified by Greek authorities as the smugglers responsible for organizing the journey. Survivors reported that the group had departed from Tobruk, Libya.
  • Operation 2: 28 Nautical Miles South of Gavdos
    A UK-flagged tanker saved 89 migrants from another vessel. Among the survivors, a 35-year-old Egyptian man was identified and arrested as the smuggler. Passengers stated they had each paid him 200,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately €6,500) for the dangerous crossing.
  • Operation 3: Trypiti Beach, Gavdos
    Forty-five men were discovered early Saturday morning on the beach at Trypiti. Authorities arrested two individuals, aged 18 and 26, accused of orchestrating the group’s journey from Musa’ed, Libya.

The suspects face charges under Greece’s immigration and penal codes, including facilitation of illegal entry, human smuggling, and endangering the lives of migrants. The charges also include accusations of collaboration (joint offense).

The migrants had traveled along the increasingly used “southern route” across the Libyan Sea, targeting Greece and Italy as entry points into the EU. This route is favored by smuggling rings operating out of Libya, taking advantage of the country’s political instability. Migrants frequently board overcrowded, unseaworthy vessels, paying smugglers exorbitant fees.