More than 5 kg of cocaine seized in Ataturk Airport

By Sevgi Ceren Gokkoyun

ANKARA (AA) - A total of 5.5 kilograms (12 pounds) of cocaine was seized at Istanbul's Ataturk Airport from a suitcase of a passenger who came from Colombia headed to Ukraine, according to statement of Trade Ministry on Thursday.

The statement said the passenger is Ukrainian citizen and he was accompanied with another person and judicial action was started against them.

In another anti-narcotics operation in eastern Van province, police seized 72 kilograms (159 pounds) of heroin in a house, according to statement of Van Police Headquarters.

Separately, police in western Tekirdag province seized 600,000 ecstasy pills, Tekirdag Police Chief Mustafa Aydin told reporters.

Aydin said two trucks which came from abroad were stopped Wednesday and the pills were found hidden in secret parts of the trucks.

He said the pills have a weight of 134 kilograms (295 pounds) and three people were arrested related to the incident.

* Mesut Karaduman from Tekirdag, Necat Hazar from Van contributed to the story