Smugglers use luxury yachts to transport migrants amid increasing raids

MUĞLA

Security forces recently discovered that human smugglers have begun utilizing luxury yachts as a cover amid the recent spike in the apprehending of illegal migrants.

With increased inspections, Türkiye, one of the nations hosting a sizable number of refugees compared to the rest of the world, has recently stepped up its efforts to combat illegal migration.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has also declared that his ministry will strengthen measures and inspections against unauthorized migration throughout the nation, when the deportation center in Istanbul is put into operation on Oct. 1.

Consequently, depending on the intensity of the controls on the nation's Aegean coasts, human smugglers are altering their trafficking strategies and routes to Europe.

Recently, Coast Guard teams patrolling off the coast of Muğla’s Bodrum stopped a luxury yacht on Aug. 29 on suspicion where 56 illegal immigrants and a human smuggler were caught, local media reported.

During their initial statements, the migrants inside the luxury yacht claimed that they had agreed with the smuggler to head to Italy.

The ship's route to Italy was also confirmed by the Coast Guard.

With the testimony of the captured human smuggler, it was confirmed that human smugglers have been changing their strategies after the successful operations carried out by the Coast Guard, police and gendarmerie teams in the recent period.

In the operations carried out in the last three months, the increase in the number of fishing boats, wooden boats, fiber boats and luxury boats used in human smuggling drew attention.

It was revealed that approximately 80 to 100 migrants are loaded on luxury yachts and wooden boats to be smuggled to European countries.

According to the statements of the refugees caught in the operations, human traffickers charge 2,000 euros per person for travelling to Italy and 500 euros for leaving to Greek islands.

It was also revealed that the smugglers also sell the life buoys they hand out to the migrants on the boats for 10 euros each.