Turkish police detain 78 in large-scale drug trafficking crackdown

Turkish police have carried out a sweeping anti-narcotics operation across 11 provinces, detaining 78 suspects in raids centered in the eastern province of Van.

The operation followed three months of technical surveillance and intelligence work, during which authorities identified 102 alleged members of a suspected criminal network, TRT Haber reports. 

Efforts to locate and detain the remaining suspects are underway.

A total of 850 police officers participated in the coordinated raids, supported by 176 operational teams and specially trained detection dogs.

Officials described the crackdown as one of the most extensive anti-drug operations ever conducted in Van. The province’s governor said the operation marked a significant step in the fight against narcotics trafficking in the region.

By Vafa Guliyeva