Over 18,000 contraband cigarette packs seized in Turkey

By Hayati Akcay and Gazi Nogay

ORDU/CORUM/ADANA, Turkey (AA) - Security forces seized 18,530 packs of smuggled cigarettes and arrested 7 suspects across Turkey on Wednesday, according to security sources.

The operation was conducted against smugglers in the Black Sea province of Ordu where six suspects, including two Georgian nationals, were detained and 9,500 packs of cigarettes were also seized, the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media, said.

In central Corum province, 4,900 packs of contraband cigarettes were seized during an operation.

Another suspect was arrested and 3,200 packs of smuggled cigarettes were seized when security forces stopped a car in the highway near Saricam district of southern Adana province.

Separately, in northwestern Artvin province, police seized 930 packs of contraband cigarettes.