Turkish security forces arrested a total of 44 illegal migrants in separate operations on Saturday, semi-official Anatolia news agency reported.

Turkish coast guards spotted a rubber boat with 25 illegal migrants and a Turkish human trafficker on board off the Karaburun town of the Aegean province of Izmir, the report cited officials as saying.

The migrants, including Somalis and Bangladeshis, and the trafficker, were trying to reach Greek islands when being found, said the report.

In a separate operation in the northwestern province of Edirne, gendarmerie and border patrol teams caught 19 illegal migrants of Iraqi, Palestinian and Burmese descent.

Police said all the illegal migrants would be deported, according to the report.

Source: Xinhua