A criminal organization involved in the illegal trafficking of migrants from Turkey to Greece has been dismantled as of March 24, 2025.
The operation, reported by Liberal.gr at 19:26, was executed by Coast Guard officers in collaboration with National Intelligence Service (EYP) officials, targeting a network operating through Kos.
In a large-scale operation spanning Kos and the broader Attica region, authorities arrested one of the two key leaders of the group in Salamis. The suspect, a 44-year-old Georgian national, was taken into custody and, following his statement to the investigating officer, was ordered into pretrial detention. An arrest warrant has been issued by the Kos Prosecutor’s Office for the second leader, a Turkish national, who remains at large.
The case began to unravel on March 15, 2025, when a yacht carrying 74 foreigners was intercepted near “Prophet Zacharias” in Kos. Among them, a 25-year-old foreigner was arrested as a smuggler. The Kos Port Authority’s preliminary investigation revealed that the 25-year-old was a member of the criminal organization, serving as the captain of the vessel that ferried migrants from Turkish shores to Greek islands.
Further intelligence from the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Directorate for Security and Protection of Maritime Borders (DAPTHAS), and the Piraeus Police Station’s Intelligence Department led to the issuance of two arrest warrants by the Kos Prosecutor’s Office for the organization’s leaders. The group, allegedly run by the two key figures, operated as a structured and continuous criminal enterprise aimed at smuggling third-country nationals, who lacked legal entry rights, into Greece from Turkey. The network is believed to include at least twelve additional members based in Turkey.
The leaders reportedly orchestrated the operation by sourcing vessels in Greece, purchasing them, and transferring them to Turkey for the illegal crossings. They also arranged vehicles, boats, drivers, and operators—all fellow organization members—while providing temporary accommodation in Turkey for migrants awaiting transport to Greece.
Shipping Minister V. Kikilias commented on the operation in a related post on X.