Police seize 358 kilograms of heroin in Istanbul

ISTANBUL – Doğan News Agency

AA Photo

Police seized 358 kilograms of heroin, allegedly brought from Iran and worth approximately 9 million Turkish Liras, from a flat in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district on April 27.

The Istanbul Police Department’s Narcotics branch raided a rented flat in the basement of a building in Esenyurt and seized a total of 358 kilograms of heroin, which was stashed in 605 pressed packets and 42 powdery packages. 

The police evaluated a tip stating that large amounts of heroin was being stashed on the basement floor of the building and the drugs were being brought from Iran to be sent to European countries. Police observed the building for 10 days and when a man was seen entering the building, an operation was launched. 

The police determined the flat was rented by an Iranian, identified by the initials K.A., who had entered the country as a tourist, for 700 liras a month. K.A. was being sought as a suspect and police have contacted Iranian officials to aid their search. 

The government had announced an action plan to combat drugs in November 2014, where a number of “narco-teams” composed of civilian or uniformed officials would take action near places deemed to be at high risk, such as schools.

A “drug-use map” is set to be drawn up by the Turkish government, as part of its strategy to combat drugs, with “narco-teams” apparently set to play a significant role in this action plan.

“We have to draw a map of Turkey in terms of drug use, drug traffic and measures for rehabilitation,” Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoğlu had said on Nov. 28, 2014, speaking at the 1st Council Meeting to Combat Drugs.