Two new cases of irregular migrant entry were recorded within a few hours in Gavdos and in southern Crete, with port authorities handling a total of 65 foreign nationals.

Thirty people were located on Gavdos, while another 35 migrants, including three minors, disembarked on the beach of the Koudoumas Monastery in the municipality of Gortyna. In connection with the second incident, a 17-year-old South Sudanese national was arrested; he is alleged to have acted as a smuggler.

30 migrants located on Gavdos

Late Thursday evening, officers from the Gavdos Coast Guard Station located 30 foreign nationals on “Trypiti” Beach, including 29 men and one woman. The migrants were initially taken to a temporary shelter operated by the Municipality of Gavdos. They were then boarded onto a patrol boat of the Coast Guard and taken to the port of Chora Sfakion, from where they were transported to a temporary shelter in Agia, Chania. The preliminary investigation into the case is being conducted by the Chania Central Port Authority.

17-Year-Old Arrested as a Smuggler in Southern Crete

A few hours earlier, the Kalon Limena Port Authority was notified that migrants had disembarked from an inflatable boat on the beach of the Koudouma Monastery, in the municipality of Gortyna. At the scene, 35 foreign nationals were found, specifically 31 men, one woman, and three minors, who were transported by bus, escorted by officers from the Asterousia Police Department, to the port of Heraklion.

According to their statements, they had departed on the evening of June 23 from the Tobruk area of Libya, paying between 7,500 and 14,000 Libyan dinars per person for their transport to Greece.

During the preliminary investigation, port authorities identified the alleged trafficker a 17-year-old South Sudanese national, who was arrested on charges of illegal entry into the country, facilitating illegal entry, and endangering others. The Heraklion Central Port Authority, which is investigating the case, seized the boat’s outboard motor, while the vessel was destroyed.