STORY: Turkish police detain 363 drug suspects
SHOOTING TIME: May 7, 2024
DATELINE: May 8, 2024
LENGTH: 00:01:45
LOCATION: Ankara
CATEGORY: LAW

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Turkish police launching wide-scale operations against drug dealers across the country and detaining 363 suspects (courtesy of Turkish Interior Ministry)

STORYLINE:

A nationwide police crackdown on drug dealers has led to the detention of 363 suspects, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Tuesday.
   
The "Narcocelik-15" operation targeted local crime syndicates, as well as drug manufacturers and dealers. It was carried out across 52 provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Antalya, Yerlikaya said on social media platform X. The minister did not specify exactly when the operation took place.
   
The police seized 217 kg of narcotics and more than 1.1 million narcotic pills, Yerlikaya said. The operations involved 936 police teams and a total of 2,340 personnel, along with nine aircraft and 38 narcotics detection dogs, the minister added.
   
"Our fight against drug traffickers and organized crime syndicates, which poison our people, will continue with the unwavering support and prayers of our nation. They cannot escape from us; we are constantly vigilant," Yerlikaya said.
   
Türkiye has long been known as a transit country for narcotics, but the government has stepped up operations against drug gangs since last year.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Ankara.
(XHTV)