Around one-and-a-half tons of heroin seized in poultry farm in Turkey’s Sakarya

ISTANBUL – Anadolu Agency

Turkish anti-drug squads have seized 1.4 tons of heroin in a poultry farm in the northwestern province of Sakarya in an operation, the governor of Istanbul said on July 26. 

Governor Vasip Şahin told reporters that it was the highest amount of heroin seized in a ground operation in the last 15 years.

“This is the highest amount of heroin caught in a ground operation in the last 15 years. I congratulate all of our security units and narcotics department members who have contributed to this issue since the beginning,” he said.     

Şahin also stated that several materials used in the production of the drugs were seized by security forces.

Seven suspects, including an owner of the farm, were also detained in the operation launched at a farm in Sakarya’s Hendek district on July 26 after a long, technical and physical surveillance. 

Police started to follow the main suspect who was identified by his initials R.B. in toll booths in Istanbul’s Çamlıca area after being released from the jail after three months.

The suspect was sentenced to 15 years in jail with charges of drug trafficking in 1998.

Following the detention, police raided the poultry farm where at least 60,000 chicks were being bred in Hendek’s Lütfiye neighborhood.

Police also discovered some tunnels which were built as a secret passage between buildings in the farm. Police also noticed that concrete had been newly laid at some entrances of the tunnels to obliterate their traces.

The squads continued their surveillance to detain the other suspects involved, the governor noted. 

“The search on the farm is ongoing. This was a special operation. So far, seven people have been detained. After that, if there are other people involved in the investigation, investigations against them will continue,” he added.

On Oct. 8, 2016, another record amount of drugs were seized in raids across the country.

More than two tons of marijuana, including skunk and 70 kilograms of bonsai, a form of synthesized marijuana classified as the most dangerous drug in Turkey, were seized in raids during five separate operations conducted in four provinces. 

Turkish authorities made their biggest-ever seizure of the chemical form of marijuana, confiscating a shipment that reportedly came from Europe.