Two arrested in Lavrio over migrant trafficking

Authorities arrested the skipper and owner of a Polish-flagged sailing vessel at a private marina in the port of Lavrio on the eastern coast of Attica on charges of facilitating the illegal entry of five foreign nationals into Greece from Cesme on the Turkish coast. 

The arrests were made on Monday afternoon by officers of the local Central Port Authority after an inspection of the vessel, using information from the Directorate of Security and Protection of Maritime Borders and the Port Authority of Andros. 

The skipper and owner were also charged for bringing the boat into Greece without the legal formalities. 

The migrants allegedly paid a total amount of 20,000 euros for their transfer into Greece. 

Authorities also seized a small amount of drugs found in the possession of the owner of the boat.