During an operation conducted as part of the joint “Greece 2025” mission, coordinated by Greek authorities and the Frontex agency, Maritime Police personnel “detected and intercepted two vessels with a total of 86 people on board and two alleged facilitators,” the National Maritime Authority (AMN) stated in a press release.
The suspects were “subsequently handed over to local authorities, who continue to apply the appropriate legal measures,” it added.
The AMN further emphasized that this operation reinforces “Portugal’s commitment to combating illegal migration networks and controlling the external borders of the European Union.”
“The mission of the Maritime Police continues with the objective of combating crimes such as human trafficking, enhancing maritime security, and safeguarding human life, also contributing to the identification of criminal networks,” it noted.
In mid-June, the Portuguese Maritime Police also participated in the rescue of over 300 people aboard an overcrowded fishing vessel adrift off the southern coast of the Greek island of Crete.
Crossings from Libya to the Greek island of Crete are considered a more dangerous route compared to the more frequent crossing between Turkey and neighboring Greek islands.
On Monday, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that since the beginning of 2025, 11,526 migrants had been rescued, 382 of whom were children, and had been returned to Libyan territory.
