Over 500 rescued off Greek island in recent days

Greek authorities have rescued more than 500 migrants off the southern island of Crete in recent days, the coastguard said in a statement later Sunday.

Greece is one of the main gateways to Europe for people fleeing war and poverty, mainly from Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

In recent years, an increasing number of people have embarked on the migratory route south of the island of Crete, opposite Libya and Egypt.

On Saturday alone, some 280 people were rescued from five separate shipwrecks, including 13 minors, said the coastguard statement.

Most were men and many reported having set sail for Greece from Libya, paying "between 150,000 and 200,000 Egyptian pounds (3,000-4,000 dollars)".

Among them, authorities arrested a 24-year-old Sudanese and suspected smuggler who was later prosecuted.

Last Friday, a Greek naval court has charged 17 coast guard officers over one of the Mediterranean's worst shipwrecks two years ago, in which hundreds of people are believed to have drowned, three sources said.