Police detain 115 irregular migrants in northwest sweep

ÇANAKKALE

(AA Photo)

Police detained 115 irregular migrants and seven suspected human smugglers during operations in the northwestern province of Çanakkale on Sept. 7 and 8.

Coordinated by the Çanakkale Prosecutor’s Office, provincial police units raided locations in the Ayvacık and Gelibolu districts. Courts later formally arrested five of the organizers, releasing two on judicial control.

Authorities transferred the migrants to a preliminary reception and dispatch center in Ayvacık.

The crackdown follows a broader decline in human smuggling activity. Irregular migration incidents at sea in Türkiye fell 48 percent in the first eight months of 2026 compared with the same period last year, Coast Guard Command data shows.

Security forces intercepted 5,984 migrants in 256 incidents by Aug. 30. Türkiye remains a major transit route for migrants seeking to reach Europe. Authorities continue to step up coastal patrols to curb illegal crossings.