Four held on Lesvos for migrant smuggling
Authorities on Lesvos believe they have cracked an immigrant smuggling ring after coast guards on the Aegean island raided a house yesterday in which 18 immigrants were living in squalid conditions and arrested four men, including a soldier. The raid took place in the main town on the island, at a house which had been rented by an Afghan man who had been living in Greece illegally for some time, the coast guard said. Officers found 18 migrants living inside the house in poor conditions. They were waiting to be transferred to Piraeus and then to Italy. Authorities did not reveal the nationality of the migrants or how they arrived in Greece. After raiding the property, authorities were led to three more suspects believed to be involved in the ring. They arrested the local owner of the house, Dimitris Rebouskos, who, officers said, admitted to knowing that his property was being used to hide migrants. A 21-year-old professional soldier was also caught, although his role is being investigated further. Finally, authorities also arrested the man they believe was the mastermind of the ring, a 28-year-old Turk by the name of Ergun Yumourta, who holds an Austrian passport.
