Authorities on the southern Greek island of Crete have arrested two Sudanese men y for allegedly piloting a small, overcrowded boat that ferried 110 migrants across the Mediterranean Sea from Libya, underscoring a dramatic escalation along Europe's newest maritime smuggling route.
The suspects, aged 22 and 19, face felony charges of facilitating illegal entry into Greece and exposing passengers to life-threatening danger, the Hellenic Coast Guard said in a statement.
The distressed vessel’s passengers—105 men, three women, and two children—were rescued Friday by a passing merchant ship in the open waters south of Crete.
The weekend arrests are part of a rapidly growing crackdown on the treacherous Tobruk-to-Crete corridor.
Since the beginning of 2026, the eastern Libyan route has exploded in volume, with tens of thousands of migrants attempting the multi-day journey.
Smuggling networks have aggressively pivoted away from the heavily patrolled eastern Aegean, instead targeting the isolated southern shores of Crete and the nearby islet of Gavdos.
In recent days, Greek police have detained several other Sudanese nationals, including teenagers, on identical trafficking charges.
Authorities warn that North African smuggling cartels are increasingly relying on young, inexperienced recruits to steer the unseaworthy vessels across one of Europe's deadliest sea stretches.
With Crete now firmly established as the primary maritime entry point for migrants reaching Greece this year, officials in Athens are urgently demanding coordinated European Union intervention to stabilize the overwhelmed local infrastructure.