Turkey intercepts more than 2.5 tons of drugs in nationwide seizures

Turkish customs and police carried out a series of drug busts across the country in early July 2026. In Istanbul authorities seized over 151 kg of narcotics, while a coordinated raid in Anamur targeted 31 locations and recovered weapons and drugs. At the Kapıkule border crossing, two separate inspections of trucks uncovered a total of 1 ton 153 kg of substances, including 526 kg of cannabis and 627 kg of additional narcotics, valued at roughly 1.04 billion Turkish lira. In Hakkari’s Yüksekova district, police stopped a vehicle loaded with 57 kg of skunk cannabis, arresting one suspect. Separate operations at Ercan Airport and on the Sütlüce‑Geçitkale highway led to the detention of two individuals found with various illicit pills, synthetic cannabinoids and methamphetamine residues.

The combined seizures represent one of the largest drug interdiction efforts in Turkey this year, prompting investigations by the Edirne and Hakkari prosecutors and underscoring the authorities’ intensified risk‑analysis and X‑ray screening procedures at border points and transport hubs.