11 arrested in Greece on migrant smuggling charges

THESSALONIKI, Greece – Greek police say they have arrested 11 people on suspicion of running a smuggling ring transporting hundreds of refugees and migrants from the Greek-Turkish land border to the cities of Athens and Thessaloniki over the past year.

Police said Thursday the suspects — Armenians, Georgians and Greeks — had transported more than 360 people from the Greek side of the Evros River that runs along the border since February 2017. Their alleged preferred method was to use luxury cars so as not to arouse suspicion, and often hid the people they were transporting in the trunks of the cars.

Each migrant apparently paid roughly 600 euros ($740) euros to be transported from the border to Athens or the northern city of Thessaloniki.