Tense scenes unfolded early this morning off the coast of Rhodes, when a patrol boat of the Hellenic Coast Guard, during a scheduled patrol, spotted a speedboat moving at high speed toward the island’s northwestern shores.

According to the official statement, the speedboat was carrying 24 migrants — 22 men and 2 women. The operator of the vessel failed to comply with repeated light and sound warnings from the patrol boat.

In fact, he carried out dangerous maneuvers at close distance to the Coast Guard crew, endangering both the officers’ lives and those of the boat’s passengers.

The Coast Guard officers responded by firing warning shots into a safe area. Following this action, the speedboat was immobilized, and all passengers were safely transferred to Mandraki Port.

During the preliminary investigation conducted by the Central Port Authority of Rhodes, a 29-year-old foreign national was arrested, suspected of being the smuggler responsible for transporting the other passengers.