Turkish police arrest 221 suspects in coordinated multi‑province drug crackdown

The Interior Ministry announced a large‑scale operation coordinated by the Police General Directorate’s Narcotics Department and the Kayseri Public Prosecutor’s Office. Simultaneous raids were carried out in 263 addresses across six provinces – Kayseri, Ankara, Adana, Nevşehir, Muğla and Gaziantep – involving about 2,500 officers, a helicopter, two drones and ten drug‑detection dogs. The sweeps resulted in the arrest of 221 people suspected of drug trafficking and the dismantling of street‑level “tezgah” sales networks.

Separate but related busts were reported in other parts of Turkey. In Istanbul’s Kadıköy district, police detained three individuals, seized 604 g of narcotics, two illegal pistols, ammunition and cash. In Niğde, three suspects were apprehended and 89 g of drugs and nine synthetic medicines were confiscated. A raid in Kayseri earlier in the day also captured 282 targets, marking the largest single operation in the republic’s history.

In the Turkish‑controlled north of Cyprus, police seized firearms and narcotics in Haspolat, Lefkoşa and Gazimağusa, resulting in several arrests. These actions reflect a broader effort by Turkish authorities to curb drug trafficking and associated violent crimes nationwide.