Turkish authorities detained 355 irregular migrants and 25 suspected migrant smugglers during nationwide inspections across all 81 provinces, the Interior Ministry announced Wednesday, as the government continued its crackdown on irregular migration and human smuggling networks.
The ministry said the operation involved identity checks on 427,968 people and inspections at 14,142 locations, including abandoned buildings, public venues, transportation terminals and other sites believed to be used by migrant smugglers.
According to the ministry, the operation was coordinated by the Directorate of Migration Management, the National Police's Anti-Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates Department, the Gendarmerie's Anti-Migrant Smuggling and Human Trafficking Department and the Coast Guard Command.
More than 26,000 personnel, supported by 8,785 teams, carried out inspections at 5,400 operational points. Authorities said 3,795 abandoned buildings, 7,447 public venues, 449 transportation terminals and 2,451 additional locations were searched.
The ministry said three of the 25 suspected migrant smugglers detained were foreign nationals. Procedures to deport the 355 irregular migrants have been initiated, it added.
Separately in an operation carried out in Istanbul on the same day, the police detained 39 irregular migrants and four suspected migrant smugglers.
Police said officers from Istanbul's Anti-Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates Division stopped two vehicles in the Fatih district after receiving information that they were transporting irregular migrants. Two suspects and nine migrants were detained, while officers also seized an inflatable boat believed to have been used in smuggling activities.
Investigators later identified three so-called "shock houses" safe houses allegedly used to shelter migrants before onward transportation in the Fatih and Bahçelievler districts. Simultaneous raids at the locations resulted in the detention of two additional suspects and 30 irregular migrants.
The migrants were transferred to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for processing, while judicial procedures against the four suspects remain ongoing.
