The Turkish Coast Guard fired shots at a rogue cargo vessel in the Dardanelles Strait Thursday evening, after the ship ignored the calls to stop off the Gallipoli peninsula and tried to escape, the local Hurriet Daily News reports.
The Coast Guard suspended the traffic in the Strait and went in pursuit of the fleeing Doğan Kartal, firing at its engine room, which forced it to stop due to locked steering.
The security forces boarded the vessel at around 6:30 pm local time, and discovered close to 400 Syrian immigrants, including around 85 children and 68 women, reportedly en route to Italy.
The immigrants were taken to Galibolu port for health checks and interrogation.
Three persons, including two crew members, were detained under suspicion of organising the smuggling operation.
World Maritime News Staff