Frontex intercepts two migrant smuggling boats off Lesvos

A vessel of the Frontex EU border agency rescued 87 migrants in two separate operations on Friday.

According to reports, the Frontex vessel was patrolling the sea area off the eastern Aegean island of Lesvos when it detected a motorized inflatable dinghy with 42 people on board.

The Frontex crew collected the migrants and transferred them to the port of Mytilini. The vessel’s 25-year-older skipper was arrested.

In an incident earlier in the morning, also near Lesvos, the Frontex vessel collected 45 migrants in a dinghy and arrested the 23-year-old skipper.