Turkish officials seize smuggled cobra venom

By Harun Kaymaz

BILECIK, Turkey (AA) - Turkish security forces on Thursday seized two tubes of smuggled cobra venom in northwestern Turkey, security sources said.

The gendarmerie sources, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, said the cobra venom was smuggled from Ukraine and the action was taken on a tip-off about the suspects making contacts to sell it to pharmaceutical and chemical companies in Turkey.

As part of the anti-narcotic operation, the teams stopped a car on a highway in the northwestern province of Bilecik after technical and physical surveillance.

The cobra venom kept hidden in the car was recovered by officials assisted by narcotic detection dogs.

Filled in two tubes, the venom's weight was 253.1 grams.

The market value of the venom -- used in chemical and pharmaceutical industry -- is 10 million liras ($2.5 million).

The suspects in the car, M.D, T.K., and O.B. were arrested and will be sent to the courthouse after their procedures in gendarmerie.