Danish drug trafficker nabbed in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Istanbul police have apprehended a Danish narcotics trafficker sought by Interpol under a red notice, the Turkish Interior Ministry announced on Nov. 12.

Identified as Mike Gerner Larsen, the suspect was wanted at Copenhagen's request for alleged cocaine trafficking in Denmark.

After locating him in Istanbul, authorities traced the Danish man to a residence in the Başakşehir district.

The police officers seized a handgun and two counterfeit passports during the search at his address.

Investigations revealed Larsen had not engaged in any criminal activities during his time in Türkiye.

Subsequently, he was handed over to the provincial migration body for deportation proceedings.

Türkiye has recently intensified its crackdowns both on national and international drug traffickers.

In a statement by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya in June, Turkish security forces dismantled a total of 585 organized crime syndicates in a year.

These operations resulted in the detention of thousands of suspects and the seizure of assets valued at 106 billion Turkish Liras ($3.2 billion), he added.