By Halis Akyildiz
ISTANBUL (AA) - Fourteen irregular migrants were held in Turkey’s commercial capital Istanbul on Friday, said security sources.
The migrants -- all of them Iraqi nationals, including four children -- were held in the city’s Esenyurt district, said the sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.
Security forces found the migrants when they stopped a minibus during a routine traffic check.
The migrants were taken to the police department for necessary processing while the bus driver was taken into custody and fined under health and safety laws due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Turkey has been a key transit point for irregular migrants aiming to cross into Europe to start new lives, especially those fleeing war and persecution.
*Writing by Dilan Pamuk in Ankara