Police arrest 32-year-old driver smuggling migrants with minor hidden in car trunk near Thessaloniki
Greek authorities apprehended a 32-year-old foreign national on Egnatia Odos after a pursuit near the Analipsi toll station, discovering two undocumented passengers, including a minor in the boot who had entered from Turkey.
Vehicle pursuit at the Analipsi toll station
Officers assigned to the Migration Management Department of the Thessaloniki Aliens Directorate arrested a 32-year-old foreign national on the afternoon of 21 August 2026. The incident took place on the Egnatia Odos motorway, in the vicinity of the Analipsi toll station outside Thessaloniki. The Hellenic Police announced details of the operation on the morning of 22 August 2026. The 32-year-old man was driving a private passenger car when police officers signalled for him to pull over for a routine check. The driver refused to comply with the police signal, abruptly accelerating the vehicle down the motorway in an attempt to escape law enforcement. Police patrols initiated an immediate pursuit, intercepting the vehicle and bringing it to a complete halt near the toll plaza. The suspect offered strong physical resistance against the officers before being restrained and placed in handcuffs.
Search reveals minor concealed in luggage compartment
Once the passenger vehicle was secured, police officers conducted a thorough inspection of the vehicle interior and storage areas. The search revealed two foreign nationals who were travelling inside without valid travel documents or legal residence permits for Greek territory. Officers discovered that one of the passengers was an accompanied minor who had been hidden inside the luggage compartment of the car. The second passenger was seated inside the main passenger cabin without the documentation required for lawful stay. Greek police stated that the placement of the minor in the boot was intended to evade detection during road checks along the regional road network. Both passengers were safely removed from the car once the vehicle was brought to a stop.
Smuggling ring and Greek-Turkish border crossing
Subsequent questioning and investigation established the operational details of the journey undertaken by the two passengers. Both foreign nationals entered Greece unlawfully after crossing the frontier between Greece and Turkey at an unauthorized crossing point. According to data established during the police inquiry, each of the two migrants had agreed to pay 2,000 euros to an organized smuggling network to secure their transit across the border and subsequent overland conveyance into northern Greece. The 32-year-old driver was tasked with moving the individuals from the border area along the Egnatia Odos corridor.
- Driver attempts to flee police near Analipsi tolls before being stopped and arrested
- Officers find two undocumented migrants, including an accompanied minor in the trunk
- Investigation confirms border crossing from Turkey and payment of 2,000 euros per person
- Hellenic Police announce the arrest and transfer case to the public prosecutor
Formal charges and preliminary investigation
The Mygdonia Migration Management Department assumed responsibility for the preliminary investigation and the drafting of the formal case file against the 32-year-old driver. The suspect faces charges related to the unauthorized transportation of irregular migrants and resisting arrest by police authorities. The passenger vehicle used during the illicit transit operation was impounded by law enforcement as part of the case proceedings. Following the conclusion of the preliminary inquiry by the Mygdonia department, the arrested driver is scheduled to be brought before the competent public prosecutor in Thessaloniki to face formal prosecution.
