39 migrant smugglers apprehended, says interior minister

ANKARA

A total of 39 migrant smugglers have been caught in extensive operations conducted in the provinces of Sakarya and Hatay, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Aug. 1.

The Sakarya gendarmerie successfully carried out an operation on a highway in the Hendek district, resulting in the arrest of 13 migrant smugglers, including one foreign national, Yerlikaya said in a tweet. Out of the 13 individuals apprehended, eight were put under arrest, while five were subjected to a judicial control decision.

In a separate operation conducted by Hatay police's anti-migrant smuggling unit, 26 organizers were nabbed. Among them, eight were identified as foreign nationals. Out of the 26 suspects captured, 14 were taken into custody, while nine were given a judicial control decision, Yerlikaya informed.

"Our fight against irregular migration will continue unabated," the minister wrote.

The operations came following a previous declaration made by Yerlikaya, in which he assured the public of intensified efforts to detect and combat illegal migration, not only in Istanbul but also across all 81 provinces of the country. The minister predicted visible progress in curbing illegal migration within the next four to five months.