09/01/2008 (Agence Europe) - Greek harbour police arrested 9,240 immigrants entering the country illegally in 2007, a total almost three times as high as in 2006, the Greek Merchant Navy Ministry announced on Tuesday 8 January. Some 2,000 people were arrested during the months of November and December alone, the Ministry stated. Coastguards also arrested 196 people traffickers, mainly teenagers, and seized 161 vessels. In 2006, harbour police arrested almost 3,500 illegal immigrants and 120 traffickers, seizing 68 vessels. During the first ten months of the year, harbour police also arrested more than 1,200 migrants trying to leave Greece illegally to travel to Italy. Greece has recently repeated its request for European aid to tighten its maritime borders to cope with illegal immigration (see EUROPE 9575). (B.C.)