ISTANBUL, Nov. 25 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police apprehended 16 illegal migrants traveling in a truck in the southern border province of Hatay and arrested two suspects accused of smuggling them into the country, authorities said Tuesday.
Police units stopped the truck on a highway in the province and discovered the migrants concealed in its trailer, according to a police report.
After medical checks, the migrants were transferred to the provincial migration office. The two suspects detained on charges of migrant smuggling were later placed under arrest by a local court, the police said.
Hatay's long and porous border with Syria makes it a key gateway for irregular migration into Trkiye. Its proximity to conflict areas, coupled with rural crossing points and heavily used transport routes, has long made the province a preferred corridor for migrant smugglers.
