Turkey: 264 kg of drugs seized in capital since January

By Yusuf Soykan Bal and Sertac Bulur

ANKARA (AA) - Anti-narcotics police in Turkey have seized over 264 kilograms (nearly 582 pounds) of drugs, as well as 199,482 opiate pills in the capital Ankara since January 2019.

The anti-drug police squad in Ankara has conducted 2,460 operations against the drug dealers from the beginning of the year, according to security sources.

In total, 35.4 kilograms (78 pounds) of marijuana, 907 cannabis roots, 76.3 kilograms (168.2 pounds) of heroin, 5.9 kilograms (13 pounds) of cocaine, 127,739 skunk weeds, or genetically modified marijuana, 138,398 ecstasy pills, 12,448 pills of captagon, 1,861 opium gum, 10.8 kilograms (23.8 pounds) drug bonsai, 3.3 kilograms (7.3 pounds) of methamphetamine, 48,636 synthetic drugs and 2.6 kilograms (5.7 pounds) of ammonia were seized in the operations.

At the same time, five drug assembly mechanisms and 74 precision scales were seized during the operations.

Turkish security forces also seized over 1.22 million Turkish liras (around $216,300), €4,365 (around $4,900) and over $6,000 from suspects, their residences and vehicles during the searches.

Out of 5,499 detained suspects during the operations, 1,066 suspects have been arrested and sent to prison by a court decree.

In June, over 59 kilograms (130 pounds) of drugs and 14,183 opiate pills were seized by security forces, while 917 suspects have been detained by police.

Out of detained suspects, 162 were arrested and 89 were released on condition of judicial control.

* Writing by Jeyhun Aliyev