In a sweeping operation targeting international drug trafficking, Turkish authorities arrested 234 individuals in coordination with law enforcement across four European countries.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the arrests on Tuesday, detailing that 225 suspects were detained within Turkey, while nine were captured abroad. Ten of those arrested were on Interpol’s most-wanted list.
The coordinated operation, involving police forces from Belgium, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, and Turkey, focused on dismantling criminal organizations involved in the production and trafficking of cocaine, heroin, and other illicit drugs.
The suspects face charges including drug trafficking, money laundering, homicide, kidnapping, threats, and blackmail.
As part of the operation, authorities seized hundreds of properties, vehicles, company shares, and bank accounts, with assets totaling 13 billion lira ($341 million).
Turkish police, working alongside the EU’s Europol agency, spent eight months uncovering the networks, contacts, and methods behind these criminal groups.
The crackdown is a stark reminder of the global nature of drug trafficking and the collaboration needed to tackle it.
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