Police bust record amount of methamphetamine
ISTANBUL
Istanbul police have seized over 3.5 tons of methamphetamine, the biggest one-time drug bust in Türkiye, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu has announced.
A total of 12 suspects were identified with the technical and physical follow-up work initiated by the anti-narcotic teams six months ago.
After determining the addresses of the suspects, simultaneous raids were carried out in Esenyurt, Büyükçekmece, Kadıköy, Pendik and Ümraniye districts between Nov. 16 and 23.
While 12 people were detained, more than 131 kilograms of methamphetamine was seized during the searches. Taken to the courthouse after their interrogations, they were arrested and sent to prison.
Teams then raided two other addresses and two vehicles, along with a villa in Beylikdüzü that was converted into a workshop where methamphetamine was “crystallized and sold.”
While 10 others were caught in the operation, a total of 3.4 tons of methamphetamine, 1.74 tons of liquid and 1.65 tons of crystals, were seized.
“The highest methamphetamine seizures in one go in Türkiye. After a six-month follow-up in Istanbul, 3,533 kilos of methamphetamine were seized during the operations between Nov. 16-23, 12 people were arrested,” Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said in a Twitter post.
Legal proceedings are ongoing against 10 people, he added.
Doses of 200 mg of methamphetamine are considered “fatal,” as the psychological effects can include euphoria, dysphoria, changes in libido, alertness, apprehension, decreased sense of fatigue, insomnia, or wakefulness.
