Suspected Migrant Smuggler Shot Dead by Greek Coastguard
The Greek coastguard said on Tuesday it had shot dead a suspected smuggler who attempted to flee on a speedboat after ferrying migrants to an Aegean Sea island.
The incident occurred near the Greek island of Kos, which is less than 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the Turkish mainland.
A spokeswoman told AFP that the shots "were aimed at the boat's motor... and the smuggler was apparently hit."
Greek reports said the victim was a 29-year-old Turkish man.
The spokeswoman said the victim, who had been manning the speedboat controls, ignored signals to stop.
"Instead, he accelerated and even rammed the coastguard vessel on several occasions," she said.
Greece is one of the main ports of entry into the European Union for those fleeing war-torn and impoverished countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent.
Refugee arrivals have increased over the past year because of the ongoing war in Syria.
But Athens, which is struggling with a six-year recession and soaring unemployment, is taking a hard stance on undocumented migration.
Last month, coastguards near the island of Chios opened fire on a vessel carrying Syrian refugees, injuring a woman and two men.
Source: Agence France Presse
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