Turkish police seize over 170 kilograms of heroin Van in Turkey’s east

VAN

Turkish forces seized 171 kilograms (376 pounds) of heroin in two anti-narcotic operations in the eastern province of Van, state-run Anadolu Agency reported on March 30, citing local police.

The Van police department said the drugs were found in two trucks.

The drivers have been arrested, the agency reported.

Nearly 200 kilos of heroin seized across Turkey earlier

The raid comes after a March 27 operation in which over 190 kilograms of heroin was seized during anti-drug operations across Turkey, local police department and security sources said.

In a statement, police in Van said the operation targeted drug traffickers accused of funding the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) in the Başkale and Edremit districts.

In Başkale, anti-drug teams seized more than 92 kg of heroin from a vehicle on the Van-Hakkari highway.

During the operation, seven suspects were also apprehended on charges of drug trafficking, the statement said.

In Edremit, police confiscated over 8.8 kg of heroin hidden in a pillow in a truck.

Two suspects, including the truck driver, were also detained during the operation, the statement added.

Separately, in an operation based in the Aegean province of İzmir, security forces arrested 22 suspects including a policeman and a prison officer, according to a police source who spoke on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on talking to media.

Sniffer dogs assisted during the simultaneous operations against street drug dealers in eight provinces: Istanbul, Antalya, Diyarbakir, Muğla, Kayseri, Gaziantep, Manisa, and İzmir.

During the raid, police seized 79 kg of marijuana, 13 kg of synthetic drugs, and 1,180 drug pills, the source added.