Newsroom
A high-speed maritime chase involving warning shots took place early Wednesday after a suspected migrant-smuggling boat attempted to flee from authorities and ram a coast guard vessel, police said.
At around 4:50 a.m., the Port and Maritime Police detected a suspicious vessel initially heading toward the occupied areas before changing course toward the free areas.
According to police, a rubber boat carrying approximately 20 people was spotted. Two masked individuals were operating the vessel.
When approached by the coast guard for identification, the boat attempted to escape and tried to ram the police vessel, prompting officers to fire warning shots during the pursuit.
The boat eventually struck a reef and stopped. Its passengers abandoned the vessel and swam to shore.
Authorities have so far located 15 men, all reportedly of Syrian origin.
A Crisis Management Center was activated at the Famagusta Police Directorate, and efforts are ongoing to locate the remaining individuals who were on board.
The case is under investigation by the Famagusta Criminal Investigation Department, with a focus on identifying the traffickers.
