Over 145 irregular migrants held in central Turkey
ANKARA
A total of 147 irregular migrants were held in central Turkey early on July 30, according to officials.
The Ankara Provincial Gendarmerie Command said in a statement that the irregular migrants, including five Pakistanis, 142 Afghan nationals and two migrant smuggling suspects were held in the trailer of a truck stopped on the Ankara-Niğde highway.
The move came after gendarmerie teams were informed about possible migrant smuggling due to work carried out in Ankara province’s Şereflikoçhisar district.
Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross to Europe, especially since 2011, when Syria’s civil war began.
