Turkish coast guard and gendarmerie units have detained 87 irregular migrants and arrested three suspected migrant smugglers in operations off and around Izmir.

Axar.az reports, citing Ihlas News Agency, that the joint operations were carried out in the districts of Urla and Karaburun on October 31.

At around 00:10, authorities received information about a group of irregular migrants in Urla. A joint operation involving coast guard intelligence officers and local gendarmerie units resulted in the detention of 40 migrants and three suspected smugglers.

Later, at around 02:35, coast guard boats intercepted an inflatable boat carrying 47 irregular migrants off the coast of Karaburun.

The migrants were handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management after completing the necessary procedures, while legal proceedings were launched against the suspects.