UPDATE - Turkey: Over 10 arrested in anti-narcotics operations

UPDATES WITH MORE OPERATIONS

By Ferdi Uzun

AYDIN, Turkey (AA) - More than 10 suspects have been arrested in anti-narcotics operations in Turkey, police officials said Monday.

Security forces nabbed a total of 12 people in the western province of Aydin, northwestern province of Tekirdag and southeastern Diyarbakir province, said the police officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to the media.

In Aydin province, anti-narcotics police units stopped a car en route to Aydin from the eastern province of Batman and arrested three suspects.

The court remanded two of them in custody on charges of drug trafficking, while the remaining one was later released.

Police also seized two kilograms (four pounds) of marijuana during the operation.

In Tekirdag province, police units arrested nine suspects from Corlu and Cerkezkoy districts and seized a number of synthetic drug pills.

In a separate operation in Diyarbakir province, a suspect, who was apprehended earlier in an operation in a house in city center, was remanded in custody over drug trafficking.

Security forces also confiscated over four kilograms (nine pounds) of marijuana.

In Black Sea province of Giresun, police seized 31 kilograms (68 pounds) of heroin from a car involved in an accident.

According to a statement by Giresun Governor's Office, the driver of the vehicle disregarded police officers' warnings and crashed into another car.

The driver, who was critically injured in the accident, succumbed to his wounds, the statement said.

Two people were remanded in custody after having been arrested in separate operations conducted in eastern Mus and western Usak provinces.

Narcotics teams also seized drug pills during the operations.

* Ekrem Senvar in Diyarbakir, Omer Vural in Tekirdag, Atakan Citlak in Giresun, Ibrahim Yaldiz in Mus and Soner Kilinc in Usak contributed to this report.