Greek authorities have accused smugglers ferrying migrants from Turkey to Greece of throwing passengers off their speedboats into the sea to evade capture by pursuing coast guards.
Migrants involved in these incidents were rescued, but the incidents highlight the increasingly aggressive tactics adopted by smugglers using speedboats to avoid Greek marine patrols. Last week, a coast guard vessel opened fire, killing one migrant, after a speedboat allegedly rammed it during a chase.
In one of the recent incidents, a Palestinian and an Afghan man piloting a speedboat attempted to ram a pursuing patrol boat off the island of Kos. They then forced five passengers to jump into the sea and escaped towards the island. Thirty migrants from the boat were later located on land, and the two suspected smugglers were arrested.
In another incident off the island of Symi, three migrants were forced off the smuggling boat during a chase. The smugglers managed to return to Turkish waters with the remaining passengers, who were picked up by the Turkish coast guard. The three rescued migrants reported paying $4,500 each for the journey.
Smuggling gangs have adapted to Greece's tighter policing of eastern Aegean waters. Apart from using high-powered speedboats, they have also followed new routes through the central Aegean, and there has been an increase in migrants making the longer journey from Libya to Crete.
In a separate incident, the Greek coast guard intercepted two speedboats carrying a total of 42 people from Turkey to the eastern island of Leros. Two suspected smugglers were arrested among the migrants on land, and another was taken into custody at sea following a chase.
According to the United Nations refugee agency, about 31,500 migrants have arrived illegally in Greece so far this year. While this number is slightly lower than those reaching Italy and Spain, it still represents a significant influx.
(Source: AP)