Authorities said police detained nine Trinidad and Tobago citizens in southern Turkey on July 27 while they were trying to travel to Syria to join DAESH.

The Trinidadians were traveling in a truck stopped by police on a tip-off that "foreigners" would join the terrorist organization active in Syria and Iraq. Assem Hasseno, a Syrian suspect accused of transporting unidentified Trinidadians to Syria, was detained while the group was deported after they were questioned. Hasseno was remanded in custody.

Adana is among the cities near the Syrian border where foreign fighters attempt to illegally cross to join DAESH.

Turkey, which shares a lengthy border with Syria, is popular among DAESH's foreign recruits from all across the globe although this was likely the first time for citizens of Trinidad and Tobago.

Since 2011, Turkey has deported more than 3,290 foreign terrorist fighters from 95 countries and refused more 38,269 individuals entry to Turkey in its fight against DAESH, which counts the Muslim-majority country among its enemies. DAESH is responsible for a string of terror attacks in Ankara and Istanbul, as well as cross-border fire from Syria that has killed a number of residents since last year in Turkish border towns.