Police seize over 100 kg of heroin in Van

VAN

Turkish police seized on June 19 some 103.2 kilograms of heroin in the eastern province of Van.

Anti-drug police launched an operation against illegal drug trafficking in the Tuşba district of the city, local police department said in a statement.

During the search, police found 103.2 kg of heroin in 204 packages hidden in 5 boxes in a parked vehicle. One suspect was detained in connection with the drugs.

Also, anti-drug police found 2,558 opiates and 21.5 grams of powder drugs in the Erbaa district of the northern province of Tokat.  Four people were detained in the operation.

According to police data, Turkish security forces have confiscated a total of 17.3 tons of heroin in 2018, detaining more than 1,500 suspects.

Drug-overdose deaths have significantly increased in Turkey. The Europian Drug Report 2019 report prepared by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) also shows that drugs seized during operations in the country was very high.

EMCDDA data points out that despite strict laws, drug dealers still use Turkey as one of the main transit points.