Turkish security forces have conducted multiple operations in North Kurdistan and Turkey, resulting in the arrest of numerous illegal immigrants and smugglers.
Interior Minister Ali Yerilakaya announced that a total of 19 smugglers and 173 illegal immigrants were apprehended in a concerted effort named Kalkan-16 across six cities.
The border guard had previously reported the arrest of 136 illegal immigrants, which included 13 children, at the Izmir border.
Six individuals were taken into custody on charges of smuggling. In separate operations, 38 illegal immigrants and a smuggler were detained in Balkışır, with another five individuals arrested in Kirklareli.
The influx of illegal immigrants in Turkey has been increasing in recent months. The Interior Minister disclosed that 80,000 illegal immigrants and 798 smugglers have been arrested in Istanbul alone over the past eight months.
