16 smuggling suspects remanded in custody in Istanbul

Sixteen out of 22 people accused of smuggling migrants have been remanded in custody on Wednesday to face trial in Istanbul.

Police squads raided different locations in Zeytinburnu district, on the European side of the city, as part of separate operations targeting smugglers between Nov.15 and 19, police sources said.

In total, 22 people suspected of smuggling were detained, along with 63 migrants, including 42 Afghans and 21 Iranians during the operations.

Some 134 life vests,  $8,000 in cash and 25 mobile phones were seized as part of the raids.

On Wednesday, six of the suspects were released, while 16 others were remanded into custody.

The 63 migrants were sent to the province's directorate general of migration management to be deported, the sources said.

Last month, four other suspects in relation with human smuggling had been arrested in Istanbul’s Zeytinburnu and Silivri districts.

Istanbul’s coastal Zeytinburnu district hosts numerous refugees, mostly of Afghan, Syrian and Iran origin.