In the chilly, rough waters of the Aegean, tricky under the best of circumstances and downright treacherous in a flimsy migrant boat, a life vest can make the difference between life and death, reports the .

But for the unlucky refugees who would have bought roughly 1,200 life vests being manufactured in Izmir, Turkey, that was a false promise.

The vests were fake, according toAssociated Press, citing Turkish reports. They were made of a material that becomes heavy when soaked and would have caused their wearers to sink.

Turkish police raided the workshop in Izmir — a port city that is often a departure point for migrants hoping to make it to Europe — and found workers stuffing the jackets with packaging rather than buoyancy aids, according to theBBC.

Of the four workers, two were young Syrian girls, theBBC said.

bbabo.Net