Migrant network tied to Hamas uncovered on Kos
It was early in the afternoon of December 1, 2023, when a black inflatable speedboat from Turkey, carrying migrants, ran aground just a few meters outside the marina on the island of Kos in the eastern Aegean. The subsequent investigation into identifying the smugglers unfolded with all the intrigue of a spy-police thriller.
In addition to the Hellenic Coast Guard’s Security and Policing Directorate, the case involved Greece’s National Intelligence Service (EYP) and UK security services. As revealed by Kathimerini, the key players in the incident were not only active smugglers but also Palestinian nationals linked to Hamas.
These findings emerged from documents and information gathered during an 11-month investigation, now disclosed by the newspaper. Just last Monday, the Coast Guard issued a brief press release announcing the arrest of a “29-year-old foreigner” without revealing the previously unknown details of the case.
The black speedboat
More than a year ago, at 4.40 p.m. on December 1, 2023, a black inflatable speedboat with two operators and a 150-horsepower engine disembarked 16 migrants near the marina of Kos. Immediately afterward, the two smugglers aboard turned back toward the Turkish coast, attempting to evade Coast Guard patrol boats. However, their outboard engine struck the seabed and failed. The two men abandoned the boat and fled on foot. Shortly after, they were spotted by Coast Guard officers alerted by local eyewitnesses. A third man, riding an electric scooter, was also involved.
When Coast Guard officers attempted to detain the three, the man on the scooter resisted violently. He tried to attack them with an empty beer bottle but was subdued after a struggle. Identified as a 31-year-old Palestinian known as Abu Shanab, he had been granted asylum in 2022 and had since resided on Kos, actively engaging in migrant smuggling.
The other two men used the commotion to escape on foot but were apprehended four hours later. They were identified as Syrian nationals, aged 25 and 28, who admitted to agreeing to transport the migrants from Bodrum, on the Turkish coast, to Kos for €2,500 and €1,500, respectively. In statements to Coast Guard Security officers and investigative authorities, they provided information about their smuggling activities and the organizational structure behind them.
A complex smuggling network
The arrested smugglers identified the leader of their network as a Turkish man with the alias Sheikh Mous, based in Izmir. Second-in-command was reportedly a 39-year-old Kurdish Syrian known as Abu al-Kol, who owned a perfume shop in Izmir and coordinated migrant transport from Turkey to Kos. Abu al-Kol allegedly had connections with local authorities and bribed Turkish Coast Guard officials to ensure their patrol boats would not hinder smuggling operations.
On Kos, the network relied on Abu Shanab and five other Palestinians, four of whom were from the same family. Their role was to monitor Coast Guard vessel movements and provide real-time updates to smugglers during migrant transfers. Additionally, they secured safe houses to shelter migrants until they presented themselves at the island’s Reception and Identification Center (RIC).
Hamas connections
According to intelligence obtained by the EYP and the Coast Guard, Shanab was a key member of a powerful smuggling ring. Moreover, months ago, Kathimerini received evidence suggesting links between Shanab and his family members with Hamas. At the time of the investigation, two of them were in Greece, having been granted asylum, while another remained in Gaza, reportedly preparing for marriage.
Despite extensive efforts by the Coast Guard, the network members initially eluded capture, prompting assistance from the Greek Police’s (ELAS) anti-terrorist unit.
European arrest warrants were eventually issued for the Palestinians involved. The UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA) tracked one suspect to Romania. He was arrested under the warrant on October 1, 2024, and appeared before the prosecutor in Rhodes on November 7. Traces of others have surfaced in Germany and elsewhere, with further developments in the case anticipated.
Source » ekathimerini.com
