More drugs seized in Turkey than whole of Europe: Deputy PM
ISTANBUL
More drugs have been seized in Turkey than the whole of Europe, Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Recep Akdağ said on Jan. 4.
Drugs trafficking generally starts in Afghanistan and reaches Europe via Iran or Turkey, Akdağ told the broadcaster NTV.
“However, another trafficking route that starts in the Netherlands and sometimes Belgium and Austria is targeting Turkey,” Akdağ said.
“These substances, which are used by young people who end up in a sorry state on the streets, are manufactured in the Netherlands, Belgium or Austria and partially in Poland. Media outlets regularly report on their plight,” he added.
Akdağ has called on the governments of the Netherlands, Belgium, Austria and Poland to tackle drugs trafficking.
“Please prevent these poisons from being manufactured in your countries,” he said.
More than 4,000 people were arrested and nearly nine tons of illegal drugs were seized by the Istanbul Narcotics Department in 2017, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on Jan. 4.
Of the 47,213 people detained in 2017, 4,842 were arrested.
Some 232 of the detained were foreign nationals, the agency reported.
Istanbul police seized 8,892 tons of drugs in 895 separate narcotics operations in 2017.
Operations headed by Istanbul’s 39 county stations have led to the seizure of 5,778,593 illegal drugs in pill-form.
Ecstasy, amphetamine, as well as prescription drugs, were found among the smuggled pills.
Heroin, cocaine, cannabis, bonzai, opium gum, methamphetamine, khat and skunk were seized in 32,329 separate incidents in which the authorities intervened.
Officers seized 276 weapons, 5,398 bullets, more than a ton of chemical substances, nearly 2,000 liters of acid, more than 80 kilograms of bonzai materials and at least 3,000 cannabis sativa roots.
