Turkey: 75 kg of heroin siezed in Istanbul

By Hanife Sevinc

ISTANBUL (AA) – Security forces Friday arrested two alleged drug smugglers and seized 75 kilograms of heroin in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul, according to a security source.

Acting on a tip, the Istanbul Gendarmerie Command arrested the suspects, who were allegedly smuggling heroin from the Middle East to Europe, said the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

The source added that anti-drug teams have stepped up efforts in the Buyukcekmece district of Istanbul, where the suspects live.

As the suspects were headed to a customs office, they were tracked by anti-drug teams, gendarmerie helicopters, and drones.

When the team stopped their vehicle after it crossed the Yavuz Sultan Selim bridge over the Bosphorus, a sniffer dog found the illicit drugs in a hidden compartment covered by lead.

The two suspects were later remanded in custody.

According to police data, in 2018 Turkish security forces confiscated a total of 17.3 tons of heroin and arrested more than 1,500 suspects.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar