7 suspected drug smugglers held in Turkey

By Mehmet Kumcagiz, Firat Ozdemir and Arif Yavuz

SAMSUN / GAZIANTEP / AFYONKARAHISAR, Turkey (AA) – Turkish police on Wednesday held at least seven suspected drug smugglers as part of its ongoing anti-smuggling operations across the country.

Two suspects were rounded up in the Black Sea province of Samsun, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

Police searched two suspects, identified only by initials K.K and T.Y., in the Canik district and found 1,190 synthetic pills and 1,590 Turkish liras ($207), the source added.

Acting on a tip-off, police in the southeastern Gaziantep province carried out an operation in the Sahinbey district, the provincial security directorate said in a statement.

During the operation, three suspects were arrested and a gun and some drugs were seized, it added.

Separately, anti-narcotics police in the western Afyonkarahisar province arrested two suspects at the bus terminal, security sources said.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar