Turkish authorities crack down on migrant smuggling in nationwide operation

The operation, dubbed "Kalkan-5," spanned 20 provinces and aimed to disrupt human trafficking rings and apprehend undocumented individuals.

In a post on social media platform X, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the successful outcome of the operation, targeting migrant smuggling organizers and irregular migrants. A total of 74 smugglers and 1,510 irregular migrants were apprehended in the operation.

Yerlikaya stated that the Kalkan-5 operation was executed in 63 different locations across provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Adana, Ağrı, Antalya, Bitlis, Bolu, Çanakkale, Edirne, Gaziantep, Iğdır, Kocaeli, Konya, Malatya, Muğla, Nevşehir, Sakarya, Şanlıurfa, and Van.

During the operation, 74 migrant smuggling organizers were captured, with 5 of them subsequently arrested. Judicial control decisions were issued for 2 individuals, while official procedures for the remaining suspects are still ongoing. (ILKHA)