320 illegal refugees captured on Aegean Sea
17:10, 09/10/2015, FridayU: Update: 17:20, 09/10/2015, Friday
Yeni Şafak
Some 320 refugees have been captured while trying to pass Lesbos island of Greece from the Ayvacık district of Çanakkale
Turkish Coast Guard captured 320 Afghan and Syrian refugees, who sailed to the Aegean Sea from Ayvacık district of western Çanakkale province, during the team's search-and-rescue operations. After taken to the Küçükkuyu town of Çanakkale, the refugees were shipped to the Immigration Removal Centre.
Meanwhile, 109 refugees, including 32 children were rescued on Thursday in İzmir's Foça district from boats en route to the Greek islands. Also, 38 Syrian refugees in Muğla and three in Antalya were rescued within the same day by the Turkish Coast Guard.
According to latest data released by Cost Guard Command, as part of around 82 operations until early October, the lifeless bodies of four refugees were pulled from the sea and 2,723 "irregular migrants" were captured.
Indeed, 62,873 refugees have been captured and rescued in the western coasts of Turkey, which are the main departure points for refugees leaving Turkey to settle into Europe. Furthermore, 119 human traffickers have been arrested since Jan. 1, according to statement.