ATHENS, Dec 6 (Reuters) - Greece detained 175 illegal immigrants on the 
Greek island of Crete on Thursday, Merchant Marine Ministry officials said. 

The immigrants, mostly Iraqi Kurds, were spotted on the island just after 
having disembarked. "The boat probably came from Turkey," the official said.

Police also arrested and charged 11 Syrians with smuggling them into the 
country.

Greece said this week it was beefing up security measures to stop a wave 
of immigrants attempting to cross into the country, and was making sentences 
for smugglers harsher.

Greek authorities estimate more than 150,000 people will have illegally 
crossed into Greece this year either from its land borders with Albania, 
Macedonia, Bulgaria and Turkey or by boat from western Turkey.