68 irregular migrants held in northwestern Turkey

KOCAELI, Turkey

Police held at least 68 irregular migrants in northwestern Turkey on Sunday, officials said.

The migrants – all of them Afghan nationals – were found when anti-smuggling teams stopped a suspicious vehicle near the town of Dilovasi in the Kocaeli province, said a statement by the provincial security directorate.

The bus drivers were arrested on suspicion of human trafficking.

Turkey has been a main route for irregular migrants trying to cross into Europe, especially since 2011 when Syria’s civil war began.

*Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara