Greek police have arrested a Moroccan man suspected of being a smuggler on board a boat carrying migrants that capsized after hitting a coast guard vessel, killing 15 people, authorities announced Thursday.
The collision occurred Tuesday evening off the coast of Chios Island , near Turkey 's Aegean coast . Around twenty people were also injured.
Greek police said in a statement that the 31-year-old man had been identified by Afghans who were on the boat as one of the smugglers.
ERT television reported that the suspect was in hospital, but police said he would formally appear before an investigating judge on Thursday to answer charges including "facilitating illegal entry into Greek territory" and "shipwreck" .
Migration Minister Thanos Plevris said on Wednesday that the coast guard vessel had ordered the migrant boat to stop, but the smugglers tried to escape, ramming the coast guard vessel.
The search for survivors and other bodies continued on Thursday.
Many migrants have died attempting the perilous crossing of the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece. In the past, human rights organizations have accused Greek authorities of conducting heavy-handed operations against the boats.
