40 migrant smugglers caught in ops across country

Turkish authorities have apprehended 40 migrant smuggling organizers in coordinated operations across 14 provinces, resulting in 37 arrests, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

In a social media post on May 20, Yerlikaya detailed the crackdown on human trafficking networks. He confirmed that 25 migrant smugglers were arrested and 86 refugees were detained in operations conducted in Kocaeli, Istanbul, Kayseri, Manisa, Mersin, Eskişehir, Isparta and Uşak.

In Hatay, seven individuals involved in migrant smuggling were detained, with four of them arrested. The procedures for the remaining three suspects are ongoing. During this operation, 106 refugees were also apprehended.

Additionally, eight migrant smuggling organizers were arrested in operations carried out in Ankara, Bursa, Adana, Gaziantep and Şanlıurfa.

Yerlikaya stated that the apprehended refugees have been handed over to the provincial Immigration Management Directorates, where deportation procedures have been initiated.