Turkish police seize 1.1 tons of methylamine for first time in country

Çetin Aydın – ISTANBUL

Turkish police have seized 1.1 tons of methylamine, used in the production of synthetic drugs, for the first time in the country in Istanbul.

The quantity is said to be enough to make 5 million drug pills such as ecstasy and LSD.

The discovery came after Istanbul police received a tip that a villa in the village of Riva in the Beykoz district was being used to produce ecstasy pills. Following an audio and physical surveillance of the villa, police have determined the suspects were bringing drug-making substances from China before producing the pills here.

On May 4, police raided the villa and detained two suspects, including one who is known to have received many awards in body-building championships back in the 2000s.

The police have also confiscated 1.1 tons of methylamine and 350,000 ecstasy pills (65 kilograms), whose total market value is 100 million Turkish Liras ($23.4 million). Methylamine is said to be used to maximize the effect of drug pills.

Meanwhile, police are continuing their investigation to find more people that may have links with the two detained people.

In another drug operation, the police raided a farm house in the Çatalca district after receiving intelligence that the place was being used to manufacture methamphetamine, which belongs to a class of drugs known as stimulants.

The police seized nine kg of methamphetamine, about 15 kg of cocaine, along with other chemicals used in the production of drugs. The total value of drugs seized is said to amount to 4 million liras ($0.9 million). In this second raid, police detained seven people, three Turks, an Iranian, an Uzbek, a British national, and an Albanian.