Turkish police seize nearly 1.8 million illicit drug pills, detain three

Istanbul, Jan 10 Turkish police seized nearly 1.8 million illicit drug pills and detained three suspects in a major operation in Istanbul, Turkey's largest city, the interior ministry said Friday.

On social media X, the ministry said the police launched the operation in the Kucukcekmece and Esenyurt districts on the European side of the city.

A video released by the ministry shows armed teams breaking down the door of a manufacturing facility and revealing large quantities of pills packed in boxes, ready for distribution.

During the raids, three suspected manufacturers were detained, and several pieces of equipment, including pill press machines, vacuum machines, and a precision scale used in the production process, were seized.

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya highlighted on his X account the importance of the fight against drug trafficking and production, saying it is not just a security issue but also crucial for safeguarding the future.

"We are on every street, every avenue, every corner! We do not tolerate poison dealers. We do not and will not allow them to darken the future of our children," said the minister, Xinhua news agency reported.

Since 2023, Turkey had ramped up its crackdown on drug smuggling.

Last year, the Turkish police had detained hundreds of suspects for drug trafficking and seized a huge number of narcotics.

In September, the police had seized 479 kg of narcotics and 160,967 pills in simultaneous operations across 42 provinces with the help of seven police teams, 1,418 personnel, 12 aerial vehicles, and 37 narcotic detector dogs.

The entire operation was dubbed 'Narkocelik-37'.

A senior Turkish minister had also shared a video of the seized narcotics and footage of the operations, in which police teams were seen apprehending the suspects.

Source: IANS