ISTANBUL, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- A total of 104 irregular migrants were rescued and detained in separate incidents off Türkiye's western coast, state media reported on Thursday.
Citing a statement of the Coast Guard Command, national broadcaster TRT said a rubber boat carrying migrants was adrift off the coast of Dikili district in Izmir Province after experiencing an engine failure. Coast Guard teams were dispatched to the area and rescued 32 migrants from the vessel.
Off the coast of the resort town of Cesme, another rubber boat was intercepted, resulting in the detention of 34 migrants and one suspected human smuggler, the report said.
In a separate operation near Menderes, Coast Guard units stopped a moving rubber boat carrying 38 irregular migrants, TRT added. All the migrants were handed over to the Izmir Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for processing, according to the statement.
Data released by the Coast Guard Command on Thursday showed that 282 suspected human traffickers have been arrested so far this year as part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal immigration and human smuggling, a slight decrease from 370 arrests recorded during the same period in 2024.
The number of intercepted irregular migrants stood at 16,377 as of Thursday, down from 43,714 last year, the data showed, adding that 40 migrants have died in various incidents.
The Aegean coast of Izmir province is a key route for migrants attempting to reach Europe via Türkiye. ■