Turkey: 36 arrested, 5 remanded in anti-drug operations

By Senol Bayir

KONYA, Turkey

Security forces arrested 41 suspects, six of whom were later remanded in custody, during nationwide anti-narcotics operations, according to a police source on Thursday.

In central Konya province’s Eregli district, 20 suspects were arrested following a nine-month technical and physical surveillance, the source, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media, said.

Three others were arrested in northwestern Tekirdag province, while two others were separately detained in Corlu district of the city.

In Balikesir, another northwestern province, a suspect was detained during the operation, the source said.

In southwestern Denizli, security forces arrested five people after chasing an automobile which did not obey police warnings to stop. Suspects were later remanded in custody by a court for drug trafficking.

In southern Osmaniye and Hatay provinces, six others were apprehended during operations launched by Osmaniye gendarmerie command.

Four suspects were detained in northern Samsun province during two different operations in the city.

Also, in southeastern Hakkari province, security forces seized around 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of heroin which was left by the roadside, according to the city’s governor office.

In nationwide operations, over 55 kilograms (121 pounds) of heroin were seized along with other types of drugs.