A continuous wave of migrant arrivals has been recorded on May 23 and 24 along the southern coast of Crete, where coordinated operations by the Hellenic Coast Guard located a total of 508 migrants, while four smugglers were arrested.

On Saturday, May 24, the Unified Search and Rescue Coordination Center was alerted about two boats in the sea area south of Kaloi Limenes.
A Coast Guard patrol vessel was immediately dispatched and located two wooden boats southwest of Gavdos, rescuing 111 people (including 1 woman and 1 minor).

A few hours later, another inflatable boat carrying 51 migrants (including 13 minors) was spotted 22 nautical miles south of Kaloi Limenes.
Two Sudanese nationals, aged 18 and 27, were identified as smugglers, while the rest were transported to the Malakasa Reception and Identification Center.

A similar operation took place at Dyskos beach in the municipality of Gortyna, where 53 migrants (including 5 minors) disembarked. A 24-year-old Sudanese national was arrested as the smuggler, and the boat used for transport was confiscated.

Additionally, on Friday, May 23, a total of 114 migrants were rescued from two boats south of Gavdos. Two Sudanese nationals, aged 43 and 19, were identified as smugglers.

That same day, 107 migrants were also found on Trypiti beach in Gavdos, where a 19-year-old Sudanese was identified as the smuggler.
Another 72 migrants were discovered aboard a wooden boat near Karave Port in Gavdos and were safely transported to Sfakia. No arrests of smugglers were reported in that incident.

Late Sunday afternoon, the Coast Guard’s Unified Search and Rescue Center reported that 42 migrants were located and rescued by a Frontex vessel in the sea area 30 nautical miles southeast of Gavdos. The migrants were transferred to the port of Agia Galini.

Ongoing Investigations

Preliminary investigations into all incidents are being conducted by the Central Port Authorities of Chania and Heraklion. Authorities are also examining potential links between the suspects and larger migrant smuggling networks.