Thessaloniki, Greece: Five police officers are being held in custody pending trial on charges that they colluded with human traffickers to help at least 100 migrants enter Greece.
In the border town of Orestiada in northeastern Greece, the five officers had been giving testimony in front of an investigating magistrate since Saturday morning. The five officers, who are part of a specialised border guard unit, have been under observation by agents from the Greek police's internal affairs division since October 2022.
They also recorded their phone calls, and the transcripts total more than 2,000 pages. The officers' willingness to patrol together at specific times had raised suspicions.
Also Read: The Bible was banned on the allegation of 'obscenity and violence'!
Authorities claim that the offices assisted four unidentified national traffickers who operated out of Turkiye in at least 12 border crossings.
Also Read: SKODA plans to introduce the fourth generation of the SUPERB Very soon Globaly
Authorities assert that the accused officers received a cut of the cash paid by the migrants' traffickers to transport them across the border. Police seized nearly 60 mobile phones when the officers were detained last Monday in the border town of Didymoteicho. They also seized about 26,000 euros ($28,000) in cash.
Also Read: Content related to blasphemy shared on WhatsApp, Christian youth sentenced to death in Pakistan
The Evros River, known as Meric in Turkiye, forms almost the entire land border between Greece and Turkiye. For those looking to enter Greece and start over in the European Union, the Evros is a crucial crossing point. To stop migrants from crossing the border, Greece has constructed a high fence along much of the line.