Six people have been arrested in northern Greece in connection with two separate migrant smuggling cases involving migrants who illegally crossed into the country from Turkey, police said.
Authorities reported that four suspects were detained late Monday in the city of Thessaloniki. Police discovered nine migrants hidden inside a barber’s shop after receiving information about possible smuggling activity in the area.
The suspects arrested in Thessaloniki were foreign nationals aged between 18 and 27. Police believe they were involved in helping migrants who had entered Greece illegally while attempting to travel further into Europe.
In a separate operation the same day, police near the Evros land border arrested two Greek men. The suspects were allegedly transporting four migrants who had just crossed into Greece illegally.
Authorities said the migrants were heading toward Thessaloniki, which is often used as a transit point by smuggling networks moving migrants deeper into the European Union.
Every year, tens of thousands of people trying to reach Europe enter Greece illegally, often paying smuggling gangs to help them cross borders and continue their journey to wealthier EU countries.
Recent figures show that nearly 1,400 migrants have crossed the Evros land border so far this year, out of roughly 5,000 people who have entered Greece illegally.
According to data from the United Nations, about 49,000 migrants entered Greece illegally in 2025. Around 7,000 of them crossed through land borders, while the rest arrived by sea routes.