After the shipwreck that killed at least 82 refugees off the coast of Greece, nine Egyptians are in custody. . They allegedly engaged in “illegal human trafficking”.
After the shipwreck that killed at least 82 refugees off the coast of Greece, nine Egyptians are in custody. They are accused of “illegal human trafficking” as smugglers, Greek legal sources revealed on Tuesday. The nine men survived the crash that may have killed hundreds less than a week ago.
They were arrested on Thursday at the port of Kalamata in southwestern Greece. The men, aged between 20 and 40, are also accused of forming a “criminal organization” and “negligent homicide” and face life imprisonment under Greek law. During a 10-hour hearing before a judge on Tuesday, they reportedly rejected the allegations.
The overloaded fishing boat capsized on Wednesday morning off the Peloponnese peninsula, at one of the lowest points in the Mediterranean, after the engine failed earlier. So far, 82 bodies have been recovered. According to official information, 104 people were saved. According to survivors, hundreds of people were on board, including women and children who were accommodated in the hold. (APA/AFP)