Dense migratory flows have been recorded in the last twenty-four hours towards Greece after hundreds of people were located and rescued off the coast of Gavdos and Crete.

Indicatively in the morning hours today, a freighter (F/C) flag ship PALAU spotted in the sea area 39 n.m. south of Gavdos, a plastic motorized boat with 75 foreigners on board (67 men and 8 minors).

A boat of the FRONTEX force went to the spot, which gathered the 75 people and transported them to the port of Chora Sfakion, while they were then taken to a place of temporary accommodation in Agyia, Chania.

The Central Port Authority of Chania, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, arrested three foreigners from the above, aged 28, 28 and 29, who were identified as the operator, the shift operator and the assistant respectively, for violating article 83 of Law 3386 /2005 “Illegal entry into the country”, of article 25 of Law 5038/2023 “Immigration Code” as amended and in force by Law 5079/2023, in conjunction with article 45 of the P.K. “Partnership” and Article 306 of the Criminal Code “Exposure”, while in addition two mobile phones were confiscated as well as the sum of one thousand sixty (1,060) Libyan dinars.

At roughly the same time, a FRONTEX aircraft spotted a wooden motorboat with 50 foreigners on board (men) in the 13 nautical mile area. southwest of Gavdos.

A boat of the FRONTEX force went to the spot, which located and escorted the boat to the “KARAVE” port of Gavdos.

The foreigners were initially taken to a temporary accommodation area where they were accommodated by the Municipality of Gavdos, while they were then transported by passenger ferry to the port of Chora Sfakion. A preliminary investigation is carried out by the Central Port Authority of Chania.

Finally, an aircraft of the FRONTEX force spotted, in the morning hours, a wooden motorized boat with foreigners on board in the maritime area of ​​19 N.M. south of the Good Ports of Crete.

A life-saving (S/G) boat LS-EL.AKT. went to the spot, which collected 59 foreigners (52 men, 3 women and 5 minors) and transported them safely to Kalous Limenes. During the preliminary investigation carried out by the Central Port Authority of Heraklion, it emerged that the foreigners had set off in the early hours of the morning on 12-11-2024 from the shores of Tobruk, Libya, bound for Greece, while according to their statement, they had paid sums of money for their transport from 2,500 to 4,000 dollars each.

In addition, a 33-year-old foreigner was identified by the others as their trafficker, in whose possession a nylon package containing processed cannabis with a gross weight of 1.8 grams was found.

The 33-year-old was arrested for violating article 25 of Law 5038/2023 “Facilitation”, article 306 of the Criminal Code. “Report” 83 of Law 3386/2005 “Illegal entry into the country” and Law 4139/2013 “On addictive substances and other Provisions”.