Turkish court to try Albanian ‘drug kingpin’ caught in Turkey’s west

ISTANBUL

An Albanian man who was previously caught in Turkey, accused of smuggling over one ton of synthetic cannabis, was handed to the judiciary along with 10 other suspects on the morning of April 2, state-run Anadolu Agency reported. 

Met Kanani, who goes by the alias “Albanian Met,” was caught by police in the Aegean province of Muğla on March 20 along with 10 other suspects, including four Albanian nationals.

One ton and 100 kilograms of chemically modified cannabis-based drug “skunk” was on its way from the Balkans before it was confiscated in the operation, which was conducted simultaneously in Istanbul and Muğla.

Meanwhile, more suspects were detained in the case when Turkish narcotics police apprehended two more men understood to be related to the smuggling on March 22 following the former detainees’ testimonies.

The entire operation was conducted upon a tip-off and aimed to intervene in the delivery of chemicals from Albania intended for the Istanbul drugs market via the sea route.

Synthetic drug hidden in blood tubes seized in Turkey

Meanwhile, Doğan News Agency reported on April 2 that 105 grams of synthetic drugs hidden in 35 blood tubes were seized at a courier company in the Mediterranean province of Antalya. 

During an operation in the city, police searched a branch of a courier company and found 105 grams of synthetic drugs in 35 blood tubes in a box.

The police arrested two suspects who were taking the drug to the company’s branch.

On March 30, Turkish forces seized 171 kilograms (376 pounds) of heroin in two anti-narcotic operations in the eastern province of Van, while more than 190 kilograms of heroin were seized across Turkey in another operation on March 27.

Detection dogs assisted during the simultaneous operations on March 27 against street drug dealers in eight provinces, including Istanbul, Antalya, Diyarbakir, Muğla, Kayseri, Gaziantep, Manisa and İzmir.