ROME (AP) — Greek authorities say they have arrested three men on suspicion of ferrying 69 refugees or migrants on a yacht to the island of Zakynthos off the western coast of Greece’s mainland.
The coast guard said Monday the people landed on the Ionian Sea island included two women in an advanced state of pregnancy who were taken to hospital for treatment.
It says the yacht’s crew was arrested shortly afterward following a chase at sea.
The nationalities of the passengers and crew were not immediately known.
Greece is a major entry point for refugees and migrants seeking a better life in the European Union. But most smuggling boats head for the eastern Greek islands, opposite Turkey, and arrivals in the Ionian Sea islands are rare.