Eight people, including two who lacked driver’s licenses, have been arrested over the past three days near the northeastern border with Turkey ferrying in packed cars a total 40 migrants who had just made their way into Greece, authorities said.
In two cases the cars crashed, and several migrants required hospital treatment for their injuries.
Police said Monday that two suspected migrant-smugglers – only identified as foreign nationals – were taken into custody for carrying 11 people in two cars westwards towards Thessaloniki. The one suspect lacked a license and was driving a stolen car, while the second veered off the road to avoid police but nobody was hurt.
A day earlier, police in the Evros border region came across a car that had tipped over in the middle of the road with nine migrants in it – eight of whom were hospitalised. The suspected smuggler was arrested near the scene.
And over the weekend another five suspected smugglers were taken into custody, driving cars crammed with a total 20 people.
