Authorities in Greece arrested three suspected members of a people-smuggling gang responsible for transporting migrants from Greece to Italy, the Hellenic Coast Guard announced on Tuesday.
The arrests were made after the coast guard intercepted a boat with 36 migrants bound for Italy in the sea area southwest of Lefkada.
Moreover, another foreign national was located on the island and arrested as a member of the same gang. According to reports, he was the driver of the bus who transported the migrants to the loading point where they boarded the boat.
Earlier this week, police in Athens arrested eight people for being members of a human tracking network in the wider area of Omonia and Agios Panteleimon.
The leading member of the human trafficking ring was known to the international authorities, as a European Arrest Warrant was pending against him by the German authorities.
The foreign gang leader was arrested along with five other for forgery and other crimes. Two other people were arrested because they did not have legal residence documents in the country.