Istanbul Police Make Huge Cocaine Bust

By Huseyin Bagis





Anti-narcotics police in Turkey have seized 20 kilograms (44 pounds) of cocaine in a major operation in Istanbul, officials said on Monday.





Anti-narcotics squads held three separate operations between May 29 and June 6 to hunt those involved in drug trafficking, according to sources, requesting anonymity, as they are not authorized to speak to media.





On May 29, police teams discovered 20 kilograms of cocaine hidden in a passenger seat of a vehicle with foreign license plates, in Esenyurt district of Istanbul, located in the European side of the city.



A Bulgarian-origin suspect, 49, was arrested.





The squads also founded 70 kilograms (154.3 pounds) of heroin hidden in a truck bed in the Kucukcekmece district, a large crowded suburb, also on the European side of Istanbul.





Two suspects were also arrested, on the same day.





On June 6, police impounded 980 Cannabis Sativa roots in an operation, targeting a cottage in Silivri district, along the Sea of Marmara, outside metropolitan Istanbul, arresting three suspects, the sources added. -