13 irregular migrants held in NW Turkey

By Gokhan Balci

EDIRNE (AA) - At least 13 irregular migrants were held in Turkey’s western province Edirne, security sources said on Friday.

Provincial gendarmerie forces tried to stop a suspicious vehicle but the driver did not heed the signal and attempted to make a fast escape, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The suspicious vehicle went off the road and the driver of the vehicle escaped, they added.

The migrants held included 10 Pakistani, two Indians and a Bangladeshi national.

All of the irregular migrants were referred to provincial migration offices.

Turkey has been the main route for refugees trying to cross to Europe, especially since the beginning of civil war in Syria. Some 268,000 irregular migrants were held in Turkey in 2018, according to the Interior Ministry.

* Writing by Burak Dag