Drug seizures in Turkey reach 'all-time record'

By Hakan Mehmet Sahin and Salih Baran

EDIRNE, Turkey

Turkey set an “all-time record high” for drugs seizures at its borders in the first 11 months of 2017, Customs Minister Bulent Tufenkci said Thursday.

More than 26 tons of drugs were confiscated -- an 11-fold increase on the same period in 2016.

“As of November 2017, the amount of drugs seized in Turkey has increased by 11 times compared to the same period in 2016 and rose to around 26 tons from 2.3 tons,” Tufenkci told Anadolu Agency.

Tufenkci attributed the rise to the use of technology such as X-ray machines at customs posts.

He highlighted the installation of scanners at the Kapikoy border gate with Iran and planned scanners on the Bulgarian border.

Turkey lies on the trafficking route for smugglers shipping heroin from Afghanistan to Europe.

Tufenkci said around 5,000 seizures between January and November had seen contraband worth 2.16 billion Turkish liras ($547.7 million) confiscated. He did not say if the value related solely to narcotics.