Police chief detained for suspected involvement in human trafficking gang in Edirne

EDİRNE – Doğan News Agency

A police chief was detained on March 27 for suspected involvement in a human trafficking gang in the northwestern border province of Edirne.

The incident came to light following an investigation to uncover the gang members operating in the province’s Uzunköprü district.

The investigation led to some suspects’ detentions, while it also revealed that fourth-degree police chief Mustafa Tekin had certain links to the gang members.

The interrogation of Tekin was reported to have continued on March 27.

Many migrants, mainly Syrians, attempt to reach Greece by crossing the land border in Edirne due to a rising number of deaths on sea routes.

100 undocumented migrants held

Meanwhile, a total of 100 undocumented Syrian migrants, including women and children, were held in the Aegean province of Muğla, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on March 28.

Teams from the provincial police department noticed a group of people were preparing to leave the Bodrum district via illegal means, sources said.

The migrants were taken to a provincial migration authority.

Turkey has been a main route for refugees trying to cross into Europe, especially since the beginning of a civil war in Syria.

Among the migrants held in 2017 in Turkey, the majority came from Pakistan — around 15,000 — followed by Afghans at around 12,000. Syrians totaled about 10,000.