Smuggling networks busted at Turkish capital's airport

ANKARA

Turkish customs officers busted two smuggling networks and arrested 19 people at the airport in the capital Ankara, security sources said on Thursday.

Acting on a tip-off, custom officers at the Ankara Esenboga Airport arrested a foreign national who was trying to smuggle animal pelts.

A total of 195 beaver and 55 fox pelts were found in the luggage of the person, whose nationality was not disclosed, said the sources, asking not to be named due to restrictions on speaking to the media.

In another operation, customs officials arrested 18 people part of a network using the airport as a base to smuggle expensive and famous brands of mobile phones and devices for mining cryptocurrency, the sources added.

* Writing by Ahmet Gencturk in Ankara