Turkey: 47 arrested in anti-drug operations

By Ozgun Tiran

KIRKLARELI, Turkey (AA) - Turkish security forces arrested 47 suspects during nationwide anti-narcotics operations, police sources said Wednesday.

In an operation run by the gendarmerie of the northern Zonguldak province, in which several locations in Istanbul were raided, 24 people were arrested, according to a security official, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.

In the northwestern Kirklareli province, nine suspects were apprehended in another operation, a security source said.

The police -- aided by a sniffer dog -- raided a house in the eastern Van province and arrested the house owner for drug trafficking, according to another security source.

Separately, in the central province of Sivas, one person was arrested after security forces stopped a bus during a traffic control, and another two suspects were apprehended in the northwestern Tekirdag province.

In the southeastern Diyarbakir province, one person was detained when security forces stopped a minibus on the Diyarbakir-Egil highway.

In southeastern Hakkari’s Yuksekova district, one suspect was arrested according to the governor's office.

Five others were detained during operations in northwestern Turkey, according to the governor's office in Balikesir.

In addition, one person in the southeastern Siirt and two in western Manisa were arrested during anti-narcotics operations.

In the nationwide operations, over 350 kilograms (772 pounds) of heroin were seized along with other types of drugs.