Turkish Smuggling Boss and Foreign Network Arrested in Athens
Greek authorities arrested a 38-year-old Turkish man in Athens on Sunday, suspected of being a high-ranking member of a criminal network smuggling migrants into Greece. The Coast Guard confirmed the arrest took place outside his home in the Neos Kosmos neighborhood, based on a warrant issued over a month ago by a prosecutor on the island of Samos.
Four other Turkish nationals and a Syrian man were also detained at and around the suspect's home. All five are believed to have entered the country illegally.
Around 650 people have crossed from Turkey to Samos alone so far this year.
The arrest comes as migration flows through the Aegean remain active. Around 650 people have crossed from Turkey to Samos alone so far this year, even as Crete has overtaken the Aegean islands as the single most popular entry point for migrants arriving from north Africa.
The Samos-based warrant driving the case suggests investigators had been tracking the suspect's network for some time before moving in. His arrest signals that Greek authorities are targeting the organizational leadership of these smuggling operations, not just those crossing the border.
