Türkiye’s security forces continued nationwide operations against irregular migration and migrant smuggling on Tuesday, detaining and rescuing dozens of migrants in separate land and sea operations across the country.
In the western provinces of Çanakkale, Aydın, Edirne and Kırklareli, authorities detained or rescued a total of 90 irregular migrants in separate incidents, while an operation in Istanbul targeting migrant smuggling uncovered a suspected network allegedly forcing foreign nationals to work and detaining their passports.
In Çanakkale, 37 irregular migrants, including 17 children, were detained off the coast of Ayvacık after authorities received information about a group of migrants at sea.
The Turkish Coast Guard dispatched the KB-76 patrol boat and TCSG-61 coast guard vessel to the area. Officers stopped a moving inflatable boat carrying the migrants.
Two suspects were also detained by Ayvacık district gendarmerie on suspicion of migrant smuggling.
