Turkey: 79 suspects nabbed in anti-drug busts

By Omer Yildiz and Hayati Akcay

SAMSUN, Turkey

Turkish police have arrested 79 drug suspects in nationwide operations, police sources said Tuesday.

Security forces detained 29 suspects in the Black Sea and central provinces of Ordu, Samsun, and Konya, according to police officials, who asked not to be named due to restrictions on talking to the media.

In raids on suspects’ homes, police confiscated 3,500 grams of heroin and 177 grams of cannabinoids and a gun, the source said.

Four suspects were also held in the central province of Sivas after they were found in possession of 400 opiate pills.

In a separate operation, anti-narcotics team rounded up 21 suspects in the Samsun province for selling drugs.

Police also arrested seven suspects in anti-drug operations in the northeastern province of Erzincan.

Thirteen suspects were also nabbed in police raids in the southern province of Adana, while five others were arrested in the western province of Isparta.