38 People, İncluding Turkish Celebrities, Detained İn Anti-drug Operation

A total of 38 people, including several Turkish celebrities, were detained on Friday in a narcotics operation. Teams from the İstanbul Police Department's narcotics unit conducted raids at various addresses early on Friday and detained over 38 individuals, including actors Çağatay Ulusoy, Cemal Hünal, actress Gizem Karaca and Cenk Eren. The suspects were taken to a police station for interrogation after undergoing a check by a medical examiner.



The İstanbul Police Department's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit is reported to have been following the activities of a drug dealer, Ş.D., for eight months to find out his connections to the alleged drug users before launching the operations. As a result of a search carried out in the homes of the alleged users in the districts of Beşiktaş, Şişli, Etiler and Ulus, police discovered 20 kilograms of heroin and 500 grams of cocaine.



Hünal and Eren were taken to the Council of Forensic Medicine (ATK) for a blood test. Answering questions raised by reporters in from of the ATK, Hünal stated that they are waiting for the results of blood tests conducted at the ATK, adding he does not know why he was arrested by police.



The famous actor Ulusoy refused to answer questions directed at him by reporters. Police say there are also some stage actors among the arrested people such as Ayşe Selim Boraytay and director Hüseyin Orçun Benli.



In a separate operation, police arrested seven people and seized around 25 kilograms of marijuana in simultaneous raids conducted in the southern province of Hatay on Thursday. According to the Cihan news agency, the Hatay Police Department's Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Unit launched operations at seven different points in the districts of Antakya and Samandağ. A total of seven people were arrested and taken into custody for questioning and 25 kilograms of marijuana was seized.



Meanwhile in the eastern province of Van the police seized around 47 kilograms of heroin on Friday. After receiving a tip police launched an operation along the Van-Hakkari highway. Authorities carried out a search of a car traveling along the highway and discovered around 47 kilograms of heroin. The driver of the car was placed under arrest.



(Cihan/Today's Zaman)