Authorities in Samos dismantled an organised illegal migrant trafficking ring, following a coordinated operation by the Coast Guard, in cooperation with the Directorate of Security and Protection of Maritime Borders and the National Intelligence Service.
The operation was carried out after a month-long investigation, starting with the incident of the detection and rescue of 34 foreigners in the “Kallithea” sea area of Samos, on March 30, 2026. Through the use of information and the cross-checking of data, the authorities managed to identify and arrest the members of the ring.
Specifically, two Turkish nationals, aged 26 and 34, were arrested, allegedly as the traffickers of the migrants, whom they transported by speedboat from the Turkish coast for a fee. At the same time, three more foreigners – nationals of Turkey, Syria and Iraq, aged 45, 24 and 43 – were arrested as accomplices, as they allegedly provided accommodation, supplies and transport for the concealment and escape of the boat operators.
According to the preliminary investigation, the arrested men are part of a structured criminal organisation with systematic activity in the illegal trafficking of migrants to Greece. The authorities proceeded to seize the speedboat used for the transport, a private car, as well as five mobile phones.
The preliminary investigation is underway by the Samos Port Authority, while the competent authorities are examining the scope of the circuit’s activities.
