ANKARA, Sept. 11 (Xinhua) -- Türkiye apprehended 52 migrant smugglers, including 14 foreign nationals, in simultaneous operations carried out across 81 provinces, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said Thursday.
The police carried out inspections on Sunday targeting migrant smuggling organizers and irregular migration, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X.
A total of 402,098 identity checks were carried out, resulting in the detention of 666 irregular migrants, according to the minister.
Authorities inspected 7,883 public venues, 483 terminals, and 6,746 other locations, Yerlikaya added, noting that procedures have been launched to return the irregular migrants to their countries.
Türkiye is a key transit route for migrants from conflict-ridden countries seeking to enter Europe.
In recent years, the country has intensified border security measures, strengthened legal frameworks, and enhanced international cooperation to combat human smuggling activities. ■
