The title is an improbable combination of words, but as improbable as it might seem three firemen volunteers from Sevilla were arrested by the Greeks for Human Trafficking

The truth is that Enrique, Julio and Manolo would have been coming home after volunteer work on the Greek island of Lesbos since the 2nd of January. In these two weeks they’ve managed to rescue dozens of refugees yet, here are the Greek authorities accusing them of human trafficking. So how did it happen?

It was around midnight on Thursday the 14th of January that they were out in a boat together with Danish volunteers looking for refugees, but they were intercepted by a Greek coastguard vessel and arrested. They were taken ashore in handcuffs and locked up in the Port Authorities cells.

The Spanish firemen had gone out in a boat belonging to a Danish volunteer organization because their own launch had sprung a leak during their last outing.

And there they will remain until Saturday morning, awaiting to appear before a magistrate.

The Secretary of the volunteer association, Proem Aid, with whom the firemen are working, Sr. Pastor, could only repeat just how unfair the situation was: people who leave their families behind and come to Lesbos to help those in need, dedicating their time and effort to help the very same people that the Greek authorities have accused them of exploiting.

Ironically, only a couple of days before the Greek coastguards had called upon the arrested volunteers to help them rescue the people aboard an over-crowded refugee boat, which was in danger of sinking before it could reach dry land.

Lastly, the three Spaniards are not the only people to be arrested by the Greeks because in a separate incident, two other foreign volunteers and a journalist were also arrested.

Editorial comment: now wonder the bloody Greek economy is in a shambles.

(News: Sevilla, Andalucia/lesbos, Greece – Photo, 2nd and 3rd from right are two of the firemen)