Türkiye detains 200 human smugglers, 4,040 irregular migrants in September

Turkish authorities have detained 200 human smugglers and 4,040 irregular migrants during nationwide operations across 81 provinces in September. The announcement was made by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya on Tuesday.

8️⃣1️⃣ ilde Göçmen Kaçakçılığı Organizatörleri ve Düzensiz Göçmenlere yönelik son 1️⃣ ayda Jandarma tarafından aralıksız düzenlenen operasyonlarda;
⚠️2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ Göçmen Kaçakçılığı Organizatörü ve
⚠️4️⃣.0️⃣4️⃣0️⃣ Düzensiz Göçmen yakalandı❗

Göçmen Kaçakçılığı Organizatörlerinden;
📍8️⃣2️⃣’si… pic.twitter.com/6Bc2sDE2rW

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) October 8, 2024

According to Yerlikaya, the operations were conducted by the Gendarmerie General Command and coordinated with the Public Prosecutor’s Offices and the Gendarmerie’s Department of Combating Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling.

The operations, carried out continuously over the past month, aimed to crack down on human smuggling networks and irregular migration.

Detentions and legal actions

Out of the 200 human smugglers apprehended, 82 have been formally arrested, while 31 individuals were placed under judicial control, Yerlikaya stated in his social media post. Legal proceedings are ongoing for the remaining suspects.

“In the past month, 200 human smugglers and 4,040 irregular migrants were caught in operations carried out in 81 provinces. Of the organizers, 82 were arrested, 31 were placed under judicial control, and the rest are undergoing legal procedures,” Yerlikaya said.

Seized vehicles and deportation procedures

Besides the arrests, authorities seized 107 vehicles used in human smuggling operations. The irregular migrants apprehended during the operations have been transferred to provincial migration offices for deportation processing, Yerlikaya added.

“The irregular migrants caught were handed over to the Provincial Migration Directorates, and deportation procedures were immediately initiated,” Yerlikaya confirmed.