Two suspects were arrested in central Athens after a police chase on Sunday revealed seven irregular migrants packed into their vehicle. The case, which was announced on Tuesday, differs from similar incidents involving police chases of vehicles operated by migrant smugglers, as it occurred in the middle of the Greek capital and the fact that the undocumented migrants are reportedly from Nepal.
According to police, the Nepalese nationals illegally entered northern Greece from the frontier with Bulgaria the same day, and were met by the two smugglers for transport to the greater Athens area.
In their statements to authorities, members of the group – four men and three women – said they paid between 500 to 1,000 euros each for the transport and accommodation in a central Athens “safe house”.
Another 11 individuals – seven women and four men – who declared they were also from the Himalayan nation of Nepal and the province of Tibet, were later found in the specific “safe house”.
Motorcycle police units first flagged down the passenger vehicle to stop after noticing that it was loaded with nine people.
One of the two alleged smugglers, the driver who tried to flee, possessed a fake Pakistani ID, while the other, a local woman, was also charged with possession of a small amount of cannabis – on top of felony and misdemeanor counts. The vehicle was confiscated. Another suspect was identified in the case and is sought for arrest.
Authorities commenced the process of registering the 18 foreign nationals in order to begin repatriation procedures for return to their home countries.
