Istanbul police detain over 100 in public order operations

ISTANBUL

DHA Photos

As many as 129 suspects have been detained in police raids as part of an operation to ensure public order in Istanbul.

The operation “Yeditepe Huzur” started with nearly 4,700 police officers from Istanbul Police Department’s counterterrorism, narcotics, public order, financial crimes and organized crimes, anti-riot and traffic units infiltrating Istanbul’s 39 districts late Sept. 29, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Police officers searched large numbers of people previously on record, vehicles and offices, recording a total of 21,250 suspects’ background information.

The focal point of the operation, which was supported by police helicopters, was arresting people in possession of weapons and sharp objects, as well as drug dealers.

Twenty-three unregistered pistols, 465 grams of narcotic substance, counterfeit money worth 7,050 Turkish Liras, 2,700 packs of smuggled cigarettes and several roulettes were seized in the operation, with 50 of 81 searched offices sealed off.  

More than 4,700 vehicles were stopped, with 96 of them banned in traffic as part of the operation.

Meanwhile, 20 suspects were detained for luxury car swindling in a police operation jointly held in Istanbul and the northwestern province of Kocaeli early Sept. 30.

The suspects detained were those who tried to sell their cars with online ads in Turkish registration offices.