Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya Announces Success of “NARKOÇELİK-23” Operations

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya Announces Success of “NARKOÇELİK-23” Operations

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya detailed the progress of the “NARKOÇELİK-23” operations, carried out in 47 provinces before and during the Kurban Bayramı holiday. These operations targeted drug traffickers and street dealers, resulting in the seizure of 304.5 kg of narcotics and 96,000 drug pills. Additionally, 445 individuals were apprehended.

Highlights from Minister Ali Yerlikaya’s Statements:

Commitment to Eradicating Drug Traffickers: Minister Yerlikaya emphasized the ongoing commitment to fight against drug traffickers with full force.

Operation Details: Coordinated by the General Directorate of Security’s Anti-Narcotic Crimes Department, 912 teams and 1,985 personnel participated in the operations, along with 12 aerial vehicles and 13 drug-detecting dogs.

Seized Drugs and Arrested Traffickers: Significant quantities of drugs were seized, and numerous traffickers were apprehended in provinces including İzmir, Gaziantep, Ankara, Adana, Antalya, Rize, Mersin, Bursa, Konya, Diyarbakır, Istanbul, Şanlıurfa, Kayseri, Kocaeli, Osmaniye, Denizli, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Muğla, Sakarya, Samsun, Hatay, Malatya, Kahramanmaraş, Manisa, Tekirdağ, Van, Batman, Yalova, Amasya, Bolu, Niğde, Şırnak, Balıkesir, Mardin, Bartın, Karaman, Nevşehir, Uşak, Ordu, Trabzon, Adıyaman, Düzce, Edirne, Erzincan, Iğdır, and Sivas.

Examples from the Operations:

Rize: In an operation centered in Rize spanning five provinces, various drugs were seized, and 25 street dealers were caught, with 18 of them being arrested.

Istanbul: In operations in Çatalca and Arnavutköy districts, 142.5 kg of liquid methamphetamine, 61 kg of crystal methamphetamine, and 16,608 drug pills were seized, with three traffickers apprehended.

Diyarbakır: 54 kg of skunk were seized and one trafficker was caught.

Şanlıurfa: 30.5 kg of methamphetamine were seized and three traffickers were caught.

Batman: 9.5 kg of methamphetamine were seized and three traffickers were caught.

Erzurum: 7 kg of methamphetamine were seized and two traffickers were caught.

Hatay: 31,000 drug pills were seized and one trafficker was caught.

Konya: 28,840 drug pills were seized and one trafficker was caught.

Bursa: 20,321 drug pills were seized and one trafficker was caught.

Minister Ali Yerlikaya congratulated the brave police officers involved in the operations, stating, “May God protect you. The prayers of our nation are with you.” The fight against drug traffickers will continue with determination.