The Special Forces of the Hellenic Coast Guard stopped and boarded on a ship trying to smuggle cigarettes of a huge total money value.
The ship “Golendri” was sailing south of Crete and was located by the Off-Shore Patrol Vessel (OPV) “ΛΣ 090”. The Coast Guard folloed it from a safe distance and during the night hours the ship approached about 1,5 miles from the area of Sfakia. There the Coast Guard using their thermal cameras, noticed a smaller boat approaching the “Golendri” fast and then stopping right next to it. The men onboard begun to unload the illegal cargo and as soon as they saw the Coast Guard speeding at them tried to escape. Some trucks that were waiting on the shore drove off as well.
The Special Forces onboard the Greek OPV forcefully boarded “Golendri” and arrested the six member crew.
The trucks on the shore were also found abandoned later on and they were confiscated as well.
