Methamphetamine soaked into a rug seized at the airport

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Customs Protection teams of the Ministry of Trade seized 17 kilograms of methamphetamine soaked into a rug at Istanbul Airport.

The Customs Protection Criminal Laboratory Directorate, affiliated with the Ministry of Trade, announced that they have increased the number of internationally valid drug analysis departments to four.

9,771 analyses in 2023

The criminal laboratories identify the types and quantities of narcotic and psychotropic substances. The laboratory, accredited internationally by the Turkish Accreditation Agency (TÜRKAK) for the analysis of methamphetamine and cocaine substances last year was also accredited for the analysis of MDMA (ecstasy) and heroin substances in August this year.

Kılınç Özdinç, the Director of the Customs Protection Criminal Laboratory of the Ministry of Trade, stated that they conducted 9,771 analyses in 2023.

Özdinç explained that natural, synthetic, and semi-synthetic drug substances were identified in the laboratories, and they have also enabled the detection of two new types of synthetic products.

Operations in 7 provinces: 72 detainees

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced that drug operations were conducted in 7 provinces, and 72 individuals were detained:

In the operation carried out by the Ağrı Provincial Police Department, 25 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine were seized, and 1 suspect was detained.

In the operation organized by the Muğla Provincial Police Department, 2 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine were seized, and 1 person was detained.

In the operation in the rural area of Lice by the Diyarbakır Provincial Gendarmerie Command, 80 kilograms of powdered cannabis, 1.5 kilograms of raw cannabis, 834,000 cannabis plants, and 2,850,000 skunk cannabis plants were seized, and 7 people were captured.

In the operation organized by the Tekirdağ Provincial Police Department, 15,680 narcotics pills were seized, and 1 person was detained.

In separate operations conducted by the Sakarya Provincial Gendarmerie Command and Provincial Police Department, 9.5 kilograms of cannabis and half a kilogram of various types of narcotics were seized, and 14 people were arrested.

In an operation carried out by the Aydın Provincial Gendarmerie Command, 2.2 kilograms of cannabis and 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine were seized, and 48 individuals were detained.

In an operation organized by the Bingöl Provincial Gendarmerie Command, 13 kilograms of cannabis were seized.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Interior, the number of individuals imprisoned or convicted of drug offenses has increased from 36,000 to 128,000 in the last 7 years. According to the Ministry of Justice data, there are a total of 341,497 prisoners in Turkey. In other words, approximately one-third of the prisoners are behind bars for drug offenses. (AS/PE)