Tense moments unfolded early this morning off the coast of Rhodes when a Hellenic Coast Guard patrol boat, conducting a routine patrol, identified a speedboat traveling at high speed towards the island’s northwestern coast.
According to an official statement, the speedboat was transporting 24 migrants — comprising 22 men and 2 women. The vessel’s operator ignored multiple visual and auditory warnings from the patrol boat.
The operator even executed dangerous maneuvers in close proximity to the Coast Guard, putting both the officers and the passengers at risk.
In response, the Coast Guard officers fired warning shots into a safe area. Subsequently, the speedboat was disabled, and all migrants were safely brought to Mandraki Port.
During the initial investigation carried out by the Central Port Authority of Rhodes, a 29-year-old foreign national was arrested on suspicion of being the smuggler responsible for transporting the others.
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