The Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie began monitoring the suspects in February, and discovered that they were smuggling illegal immigrants from Iraq, Palestine, and Pakistan into the country.
Turkey is a gateway to the Western Europe, and serves as a transit point for illegal migrants from Middle Eastern and African countries seeking jobs in Europe. In addition, illegal transit through Turkey is cheaper and less risky compared to the Black Sea and Mediterranean trafficking routes.
Edirne, near Turkey’s borders with Greece and Bulgaria was the site of one raid. Those two countries are struggling with illegal immigration. From Greece and Bulgaria, the illegal immigrants frequently enter Western European countries via Serbia and Macedonia.
While in Turkey, illegal migrants are often kept in inadequate housing and in isolation. In October, seven died after fire broke out in a shanty house they were staying in in İstanbul's Sultangazi district,.
The arrested gang members have a long criminal history , including human smuggling, theft, fraud, and corruption.
