Türkiye seizes over 2 tons of drugs in border inspections

ANKARA

Turkish security forces have seized more than 2 tons of narcotics during inspections at border crossings over the past four days, in what the Trade Ministry described as a record haul.

A truck arriving at the Ağrı Gürbulak Customs Gate in the eastern province was flagged as high-risk and subjected to X-ray screening, the ministry said in a statement on May 25.

During a detailed inspection of a suspicious compartment, authorities confiscated 764 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine, with an estimated value exceeding 2.7 billion Turkish Liras (over $69 million).

In addition, law enforcement officials seized 279 kilograms of cannabis at Ambarlı Port in Istanbul, 382 kilograms of cannabis at the Kapıkule Customs Gate in the northwestern city of Edirne and 691 kilograms of methamphetamine at the Dilucu border crossing in the eastern province of Iğdır within the same four-day period.

"With 2 tons and 116 kilograms of drugs seized during this period, a historic record was achieved," the ministry said.

Türkiye regularly carried out major operations against drug trafficking both domestically and on the international stage.

In April, the country conducted its largest anti-drug operation to date, detaining more than 600 suspects.

In the same month, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that a multinational crackdown led to the apprehension of 234 suspects in simultaneous raids across Türkiye, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain and Belgium.

The suspects attempted to produce and traffic cocaine from South America to Türkiye and Europe via sea and land routes, as well as smuggling heroin through Iran and Afghanistan.