Suspected traffickers from shipwreck off Pylos appear before prosecutor to be charged

Nine Egyptian men arrested as the suspected traffickers of the migrants on board the sunken fishing boat off Pylos were led before a Kalamata public prosecutor late on Thursday night and charged. They were given until Monday to prepare their testimony.

They are accused for forming a criminal organisation for the illegal entry of migrants, causing a shipwreck and endangering lives.

The nine men, aged 26, 21, 40, 36, 32, 26, 22, 29 and 20 years old, respectively, were the crew of the fishing boat and each is believed to have had a distinct role in the transportation of the migrants.

Eight are being held at the Kalamata police station, while the ninth remains under guard at Kalamata hospital.

The search-and-rescue operation to find persons still missing after the shipwreck continued overnight without success, as both the number of confirmed dead remains unchanged at 78 and no new survivors have been found.

A Hellenic Navy frigate, a Navy helicopter and three nearby ships are currently operating in the search area.