Turkish policemen charged with bribery, aiding drug dealers

ISTANBUL

DHA photo

Two police officers have been charged with taking bribes to help drug dealers they apprehended and return confiscated drugs, daily Vatan reported today. 
 
Police officers M.B., T.C. and E.Ö. allegedly prepared falsified documents to lighten the crimes of three dealers they caught packaging drugs in a warehouse in Istanbul's Beyoğlu district in January.
 
The policemen took 7,000 Turkish Liras from the suspects they caught and prepared a document which said the suspects were caught selling drugs on the street rather than preparing them at a warehouse. Two more policemen, A.K. and A.D, who arrived on the scene as backup, signed the document without reading it, fully aware of the deal between their colleagues and the suspects. 
 
It was also claimed that the policemen returned some of the drugs they confiscated from the dealers. 
 
The incident was revealed in a surveillance operation carried out by police officers from narcotics, who were following the drug dealers. The policemen in question were allegedly involved in two more instances of bribery in March and April. Other officers then moved to detain seven policemen and three drug dealers who were involved in bribery. 
 
Police officers M.B. and İ.T.E. were arrested and face prison sentences of up to 50 and 25 years, respectively.