Gendarmerie operation in 34 provinces catches 2,116 irregular migrants

In simultaneous operations against migrant smuggling coordinated by the Gendarmerie General Command across 34 provinces, 2,116 irregular migrants who entered the country illegally were caught. Of the 81 organizers detained, 63 were arrested, while 111 vehicles and 10 boats and boat engines were seized.

The Gendarmerie carried out a large-scale operation targeting migrant-smuggling networks. According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, simultaneous operations were conducted in 34 provinces by provincial gendarmerie commands under the coordination of the Department for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking of the Gendarmerie General Command.

In the coordinated operations conducted by air using Gendarmerie unmanned aerial vehicles (JİHA) and on the ground by public-order, highway and commando teams, 2,116 irregular migrants who entered the country illegally were caught. The foreign nationals were handed over to provincial migration management directorates so that deportation procedures could be initiated.

63 of 81 organizers arrested

Operations also led to the capture of 81 suspects identified as having organized migrant smuggling. Of the suspects, 63 were arrested, while judicial-control measures were imposed on 18. A total of 111 vehicles and 10 boats and boat engines identified as having been used for migrant smuggling were seized.

The operations were conducted in Adana, Ağrı, Aksaray, Ankara, Antalya, Ardahan, Artvin, Aydın, Bingöl, Bitlis, Çanakkale, Düzce, Edirne, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hakkari, Hatay, Iğdır, Istanbul, İzmir, Kahramanmaraş, Kayseri, Kırklareli, Kilis, Mersin, Muğla, Osmaniye, Sakarya, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, Van and Yalova. These provinces, stretching from the eastern border line to the Aegean and Thrace coasts, are among the main transit points on irregular migration routes.

The Interior Ministry issued a statement on the operations.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons (archive)

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