20.06.2026 11:11
The Ministry of Trade announced that drugs and illegal medicines containing drug active ingredients with a total value of 8 billion 85 million TL were seized in operations organized at Mersin Port and Ağrı Gürbulak Customs Gate.
Customs Enforcement teams affiliated with the Ministry of Trade are not allowing drug traffickers any leeway at border gates and international ports. As a result of intelligence and monitoring activities carried out within the scope of combating narcotic crimes, another massive illegal shipment intended to be brought into the country was prevented.
In a written statement from the Ministry, it was stated, "The operations carried out as a result of the work of our Customs Enforcement teams with advanced risk analysis systems, technological control infrastructure, and expert personnel have yielded significant results in terms of protecting our country's economic security, safeguarding public health, and combating criminal organizations. In the first operation conducted by the Mersin Customs Enforcement Anti-Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate, a container arriving at Mersin Port from Pakistan was found suspicious and subjected to detailed inspection. During the examinations, approximately 12 million 400 thousand pills containing the active substance tramadol, with a value of around 4 billion 960 million TL and weighing over 9 tons, were detected undeclared in the container. In the second operation carried out within the same scope, as a result of field studies conducted in line with combating narcotic crimes, 1 million 750 thousand items of medicinal goods containing pregabalin, with a value of 2 billion 100 million TL and weighing over 3 tons, were seized. Thus, in two separate operations at Mersin Port, a total of smuggled goods worth 7 billion 60 million TL were captured. Investigations regarding the operations continue under the Mersin Chief Public Prosecutor's Office."
273 KILOS OF METHAMPHETAMINE SEIZED IN GURBULAK Regarding the operation carried out at the Gurbulak Border Gate, it was stated: "A TIR arriving from Iran was found suspicious within the scope of risk analysis and inspections and was sent for X-Ray scanning. Upon detecting suspicious density in the X-Ray scan, the vehicle was taken to the search hangar for detailed inspection. As a result of the detailed search carried out with the participation of narcotic detector dogs named LEO and CUNDA, 273 kilograms of methamphetamine-type narcotics were seized. The market value of the seized narcotics is estimated to be approximately 1 billion 25 million TL. The investigation into the operation is ongoing under the Dogubayazit Chief Public Prosecutor's Office."
"OUR STRUGGLE CONTINUES UNINTERRUPTEDLY" The statement also included: "Our Ministry of Trade Customs Enforcement teams, with their advanced risk analysis systems, technological control infrastructure, and expert personnel, continue their anti-smuggling activities uninterruptedly at our country's border gates and ports. The operations carried out within the scope of combating drugs and smuggling are of great importance in terms of protecting public health, keeping our youth away from the threat of addiction, preventing unfair competition, preventing the financing of terrorism and money laundering activities, and drying up the financial resources of criminal organizations. Our Customs Enforcement Organization, which has prioritized the fight against smuggling and drug trafficking, which are the financial sources of international criminal organizations, especially with the goal of preventing the financing of terrorism and money laundering, will continue its determined struggle in this direction."