Authorities in Piraeus seized 51 kilograms of cocaine valued at over €2.3 million, hidden in the cooling machinery of a banana container from South America. The discovery, made with the help of a detection dog, was part of a joint operation involving customs officials, the Coast Guard, and anti-narcotics teams.
Tag: coast guard
Two Russian traffickers have been sentenced to a total of 380 years in prison and fined €3.8 million for smuggling 74 illegal immigrants into Greece. The migrants, including children, were discovered on a sailboat near Astypalaia in September 2023. The traffickers were found guilty of endangering lives and illegally transporting the migrants for profit. This significant ruling underscores Greece’s commitment to combating human trafficking in the Mediterranean.
Greek authorities are continuing the search for a missing child off the island of Samos after a migrant boat ran aground on a rocky shore. The boat, carrying 46 migrants, including 21 children, struck the rocks on Sunday. While most passengers made it to safety, a child was reported lost in the water, sparking a second day of search efforts by divers and coast guard patrols.
A speedboat coming from the Turkish coasts was spotted moving at high speed towards Lesvos and was pursued by three patrol boats of the Hellenic Coast Guard. After a dramatic chase, passengers disembarked on shore, leading to the arrest of two individuals identified as traffickers. A total of 21 foreign nationals were found and taken to a Reception and Identification Center. The investigation is ongoing.
A coordinated rescue operation successfully saved 97 migrants from a vessel off the coast of Katakolo. Spotted 76 nautical miles southwest in the Gulf of Kyparissia, the migrants were safely transported to Katakolo’s port under favorable weather conditions.
A passenger ship has become stuck in shallow waters near Igoumenitsa, prompting a response from the Coast Guard. The vessel is filled with passengers, and efforts are being made to resolve the situation safely
A Hellenic Air Force Super Puma helicopter played a crucial role in rescuing two individuals who had fallen overboard from a migrant vessel carrying 40 undocumented migrants. The rescue operations took place west of Samos, following reports to the Coast Guard about the incident near Plaka beach. The helicopter successfully located and retrieved the individuals, transporting them to Chios for further assistance, while the Samos port authority is conducting a preliminary investigation into the incident.
Thirty-seven migrants were rescued from a boat located 39 nautical miles south of Kaloi Limenes, Heraklion. With the assistance of a cargo ship flying the Palau flag and a Coast Guard rescue vessel, they were initially transferred to Agia Galini and subsequently to Rethymno for necessary procedures and temporary accommodation.
A fire broke out earlier this evening (October 23) in the Petalída area of Kimolos,…
Amid fears of a refugee surge from Lebanon, Cyprus has declared its migration route closed, citing measures to curb asylum seeker inflows. This move has sparked tension with humanitarian groups and led to increased scrutiny over Cyprus’s handling of migration, including accusations of illegal pushbacks and rising racially motivated violence.
In a tragic incident near a Greek island, a migrant boat capsized in rough weather, resulting in the rescue of 22 individuals while two passengers were confirmed dead. The ongoing crisis highlights the perilous journeys migrants undertake to reach the European Union.
A devastating shipwreck occurred near the Greek island of Gavdos, resulting in the tragic loss…
Greek authorities have rescued 75 migrants from a stranded boat near Crete, believed to have departed from Libya. The migrants were picked up by a merchant vessel after issuing a distress call and are being taken to a port in southern Crete. This rescue highlights the increasing use of dangerous migration routes from North Africa to Europe, with over 3,500 people making the journey this year.
A holiday in Corfu turned tragic as rescuers recovered the bodies of a Ukrainian mother and daughter from the sea near Sidari. The women, aged 52 and 32, were reportedly identified by bracelets on their wrists.
Eight Polish nationals were pulled to safety after their French-flagged sailboat sank in the eastern Aegean Sea. The cause of the sinking remains unclear. The incident occurred off the coast of Levitha island, prompting a swift rescue response involving air and sea resources.
A Greek Coast Guard boat pursued an inflatable dinghy close to the Turkish coast on Friday, raising concerns of a diplomatic incident between the two nations. The chase occurred in Akcabuk Bay, near Bodrum, where the dinghy, believed to be linked to human trafficking, ultimately reached shore. While the Greek Coast Guard confirmed the pursuit of a smuggling vessel, they could not verify that it extended into Turkish waters. Eyewitness accounts and ongoing territorial disputes between Greece and Turkey underscore the rising tensions in the region.
A video circulating on Turkish social media appears to show a Greek Coast Guard vessel chasing a suspected migrant smuggling boat into Turkish waters near Bodrum. The incident highlights the ongoing struggle against migrant smuggling operations in the Aegean Sea.
The Greek Coast Guard rescued a 42-year-old Turkish national on Monday morning as he attempted to swim from the Turkish coast to the island of Symi
According to initial information, a team from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department (TEEM) has arrived…
Greek authorities, including security forces and the military, are on high alert as the severe storm “ATENA” threatens potential flooding. In a coordination meeting led by Climate Crisis Minister Vasilis Kikilias, emergency response plans were activated, including the deployment of EMAK rescue units and standby fire brigade teams for water pumping.