Two migrant smugglers were arrested by coast guards in Lesvos after a dramatic chase. In their attempt to escape, the two detainees, who had earlier disembarked 28 migrants on the island, made dangerous maneuvers and attempted to ram the Coast Guard vessel.

The incident occurred yesterday in the early hours when a patrol boat from the Coast Guard, which was on a scheduled patrol, spotted a speedboat without navigation lights disembarking foreign passengers in the sea area of “Agrilias” in Lesvos. After completing the disembarkation, the speedboat accelerated towards the Turkish coast.

The crew of the Coast Guard’s auxiliary vessel attempted to stop the speedboat using light and sound signals, but to no avail. A chase followed during which the speedboat made dangerous maneuvers and attempted to ram the auxiliary vessel, which fired a warning shot in a safe direction. The result was the immobilization of the speedboat and the arrest of its two foreign operators, aged 25.

Additionally, members of the Greek Police (ELAS) located 28 individuals in the surrounding land area, who were transferred to the Kara Tepe “Mavrovouni” Reception Center. The Central Port Authority of Mytilene, which is conducting the preliminary investigation, seized the speedboat and a 9 cm spring-loaded knife that was carried by one of the two detainees.