Bar association chief among 12 held in Denizli drug probe

DENİZLİ

Authorities detained 12 lawyers, including a bar association head, in a drug-related investigation in the western city of Denizli, officials said on June 17.

The chief prosecutor’s office in Denizli said the detentions were carried out as part of an investigation into the “production, trafficking and use of narcotic or stimulant substances.” Among those taken into custody was Denizli Bar Association chief Ufuk Kök, along with 11 other attorneys.

Teams from the gendarmerie’s anti-narcotics units conducted simultaneous raids in the Pamukkale and Merkezefendi districts, searching homes, law offices, vehicles and the bar association building.

Authorities said officers seized cannabis plants, synthetic pills and cultivation equipment during the raids.

In some locations, cannabis plants were reportedly found being dried inside wardrobes, while others were being grown in bathrooms using improvised lighting and climate-control systems. No charges have been formally announced.