Baku, Azerbaijan, April 28
Trend:
Iran's Customs Administration has revealed and neutralized the biggest human trafficking attempt in recent years at Bazargan checkpoint on the border with Turkey.
Customs officers, while investigating a container truck discovered 16 people, who were hidden inside cargo, the Customs Administration said April 28.
The transit truck was carrying yarn to Turkey. The arrested people, who are citizens of a neighbouring country were trying to go to Turkey by the truck illegally.
Reportedly, in last week five human trafficking cases were neutralized at the border with Turkey. In total 28 people, including Iranian and foreign citizens, trying to illegally enter Turkey were arrested in the one-week period.
In the last fiscal year, ended March 20, 2018, 500 case of human trafficking in consignments is revealed by Iran's customs officers.
Human trafficking generally is carried out among the cargo of cotton, yarn, sesame and petrochemical products.
A part of activities of Iran's Customs Administration include the fight against human trafficking upon a recommendation of the World Customs Organization.
For a number of neighboring countries, Iran is a transit route to Europe.
Iranian Customs officers uncovered 480 human trafficking cases in the fiscal year to March 20, 2017, of them 50 cases discovered at Bazargan checkpoint.