Hatay: 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.

According to Namibia Press Agency, police units stopped the truck on a highway in the province and discovered the migrants concealed in its trailer. 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.