Massive Nationwide “NARKOÇELİK-32” Operation Nets Over 3 Tons of Drugs and 861,000 Pills in Turkey
In a sweeping operation across 59 provinces in Turkey, law enforcement agencies seized over 3 tons of drugs and more than 861,000 pills. The “NARKOÇELİK-32” operations, coordinated by the General Directorate of Security’s Department of Combating Narcotic Crimes, involved 1,300 teams and 3,250 personnel, utilizing 18 air units and 46 narcotic detector dogs.
Who: General Directorate of Security, Narcotic Crimes Department, Provincial Police Departments
What: “NARKOÇELİK-32” Anti-Drug Operation
Where: 59 provinces, including Istanbul, Gaziantep, Izmir, Ankara, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Antalya, Bursa, Adana, Kırklareli, Kocaeli, Samsun, Bitlis, Konya, Edirne, Balıkesir, Ordu, Mersin, Kilis, Kayseri, Bolu, Sakarya, Van, Kütahya, Yalova, Kahramanmaraş, Trabzon, Aksaray, Çorum, Isparta, Batman, Aydın, Denizli, Mardin, Giresun, Kırşehir, Osmaniye, Yozgat, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Manisa, Muğla, Düzce, Iğdır, Rize, Şırnak, Siirt, Hatay, Malatya, Tekirdağ, Adıyaman, Ağrı, Bilecik, Elazığ, Kars, Tokat, Uşak, Zonguldak, and Niğde
When: August 13-14, 2024
Why: To combat local drug organizations and manufacturers
How: Coordinated large-scale police operations with specialized teams and tools
Ali Yerlikaya tweeted about the successful operation, stating, “In ‘NARKOÇELİK-32’ operations conducted across 59 provinces, 3 tons 746 kg of drugs and 861,000 pills were seized. A total of 520 traffickers and street dealers were apprehended.”
Detailed seizures across provinces include:
Istanbul: 208.5 kg of methamphetamine, 149.5 kg of cannabis, 65 kg of cocaine, 50 kg of heroin, and 33,400 pills. 46 dealers apprehended, 43 detained.
Diyarbakır: 1.198 tons of skunk. 23 dealers apprehended.
Şanlıurfa: 710.5 kg of skunk. 6 dealers apprehended.
Edirne: 292 kg of skunk. 2 traffickers apprehended.
Osmaniye: 244.5 kg of skunk. 7 dealers apprehended.
Gaziantep: 133.5 kg of skunk, 8 kg of methamphetamine. 16 dealers apprehended.
Izmir: 124.65 kg of skunk, 79 kg of cannabis, and 492,479 pills. 10 dealers apprehended.
Niğde: 87 kg of cannabis. 1 trafficker apprehended.
Adana: 52.5 kg of skunk, 46 kg of cannabis. 2 traffickers apprehended.
Kayseri: 52 kg of skunk. 3 traffickers apprehended.
Amasya: 50 kg of methamphetamine in a cargo package.
Mersin: 47 kg of methamphetamine. 3 traffickers apprehended.
Hatay: 136 kg of skunk. 1 trafficker apprehended.
Erzurum: 30 kg of methamphetamine. 3 traffickers apprehended.
Konya: 237,016 pills, 12 kg of skunk. 8 dealers apprehended.
This landmark operation is part of continued national efforts to crack down on drug-related crimes and curb illegal drug trafficking.