Post by mouse on Sept 9, 2015 4:54:23 GMT -5
EXCLUSIVE: Migrants claim rogue Greek coastguard are ROBBING them at gunpoint and puncturing their dinghies in the Mediterranean
Migrants claim that they have have been robbed of their life possessions while on the perilous crossing to Greece by pirates
They claim that the masked, armed men may be a rogue element of the Greek coastguard and claim their descriptions fit
The UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children are told MailOnline they are looking into the claims
Greek coastguard deny the claim, adding pirates are 'posing as authorities'... but admitted last month that one was a government employee
Masked gunmen from the Greek coastguard’s special forces have turned pirate and are robbing refugees in boats in the middle of the Mediterranean, migrants and aid-workers claim.
Migrants have told MailOnline shocking stories of how 'commandos' wearing balaclavas and armed with guns have struck in dozens of attacks between Turkey and Greece during July and August.
In some instances, the pirates made off with tens of thousands of euros in cash that the migrants had taken with them to find a better life in Europe - as well as mobile phones.
Gone rogue? Syrian migrants told MailOnline that they were robbed on the high seas by men dressed exactly like Greek special forces (file pic) who were light-skinned and who spoke Greek and English
Victims say the mysterious assailants, who are light-skinned and speak in English and Greek, beat them with sticks and cut off their clothing and underwear to find any hidden phones and money before stealing the boats’ motors.
They then allegedly slice a hole in the rubber boats abandoning them to their fate. At times, the migrants have even been forced into the water.
Migrants, who call the gunmen 'commandos' because of their masks, have told MailOnline they believe the attacks are racially motivated and have pointed the finger at a rogue extreme right wing element of the Greek coastguard.
It is a claim supported by some aid organisations.
A number of international NGOs including UN refugee agency UNHCR, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders confirmed they have heard the reports and take them very seriously.
One Syrian refugee, Osama Haj Tihir, a construction worker from Damascus, told how he feared he would die when he was attacked three weeks ago.
He was on a boat carrying 40 Syrians which was drifting for over an hour after their motor failed.
‘Then suddenly we were attacked by were seven masked men all in black, on a big speed boat,' he said. ‘They had guns and knives and they pushed us onto the floor of the boat on top of each other, shouting at us - I didn’t understand the language.
‘They took €850 that I had on me and about €35,000 from the whole boat. They put all the cash in one bag and all the mobile phones in another bag. They cut the boat with a knife and threw the motor in in sea. Then they threw us in the sea.
‘We were all wearing life jackets but we obviously believed we were all going to die. But a few minutes after the attack the Turkish coastguard came to the rescue.’
Mr Tihir, who was travelling with his teenage son Kamal, said the men closely resembled Greek coastguard special forces.
Shown pictures of the special forces he told MailOnline: ‘On Allah I am telling the truth. They have the same black uniform, the same gun and the same ship. They are the same.’
The ship came and left from the direction of Greece, he said
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3225321/Pirate-rogue-element-Greek-coastguard-ROBBING-migrants-gunpoint-puncturing-dinghies-Mediterranean.html#ixzz3lEY58AQH
Follow us: @mailonline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Migrants claim that they have have been robbed of their life possessions while on the perilous crossing to Greece by pirates
They claim that the masked, armed men may be a rogue element of the Greek coastguard and claim their descriptions fit
The UNHCR, Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children are told MailOnline they are looking into the claims
Greek coastguard deny the claim, adding pirates are 'posing as authorities'... but admitted last month that one was a government employee
Masked gunmen from the Greek coastguard’s special forces have turned pirate and are robbing refugees in boats in the middle of the Mediterranean, migrants and aid-workers claim.
Migrants have told MailOnline shocking stories of how 'commandos' wearing balaclavas and armed with guns have struck in dozens of attacks between Turkey and Greece during July and August.
In some instances, the pirates made off with tens of thousands of euros in cash that the migrants had taken with them to find a better life in Europe - as well as mobile phones.
Gone rogue? Syrian migrants told MailOnline that they were robbed on the high seas by men dressed exactly like Greek special forces (file pic) who were light-skinned and who spoke Greek and English
Victims say the mysterious assailants, who are light-skinned and speak in English and Greek, beat them with sticks and cut off their clothing and underwear to find any hidden phones and money before stealing the boats’ motors.
They then allegedly slice a hole in the rubber boats abandoning them to their fate. At times, the migrants have even been forced into the water.
Migrants, who call the gunmen 'commandos' because of their masks, have told MailOnline they believe the attacks are racially motivated and have pointed the finger at a rogue extreme right wing element of the Greek coastguard.
It is a claim supported by some aid organisations.
A number of international NGOs including UN refugee agency UNHCR, Save the Children and Doctors Without Borders confirmed they have heard the reports and take them very seriously.
One Syrian refugee, Osama Haj Tihir, a construction worker from Damascus, told how he feared he would die when he was attacked three weeks ago.
He was on a boat carrying 40 Syrians which was drifting for over an hour after their motor failed.
‘Then suddenly we were attacked by were seven masked men all in black, on a big speed boat,' he said. ‘They had guns and knives and they pushed us onto the floor of the boat on top of each other, shouting at us - I didn’t understand the language.
‘They took €850 that I had on me and about €35,000 from the whole boat. They put all the cash in one bag and all the mobile phones in another bag. They cut the boat with a knife and threw the motor in in sea. Then they threw us in the sea.
‘We were all wearing life jackets but we obviously believed we were all going to die. But a few minutes after the attack the Turkish coastguard came to the rescue.’
Mr Tihir, who was travelling with his teenage son Kamal, said the men closely resembled Greek coastguard special forces.
Shown pictures of the special forces he told MailOnline: ‘On Allah I am telling the truth. They have the same black uniform, the same gun and the same ship. They are the same.’
The ship came and left from the direction of Greece, he said
Read more: www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3225321/Pirate-rogue-element-Greek-coastguard-ROBBING-migrants-gunpoint-puncturing-dinghies-Mediterranean.html#ixzz3lEY58AQH
Follow us: @mailonline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook