Illegal drug trade

Albania's Special Prosecution, SPAK, in collaboration with Bergamo prosecutors in Italy have announced the conclusion of an operation that resulted in the seizure of large amounts of drugs in Italy.

The criminal group responsible for the drug-running was led by three Albanians, according to the special prosecutor. Twenty other persons face trial as part of this criminal group.

Istanbul police have caught the leader of the Comanchero, one of the leading drug gangs in Australia, sought with red notice.

Duax Ngakuru, against whom a search warrant was issued at the international level was caught in his villa in the Sarıyer district.

The "Balkan route," including Türkiye, is of vital importance in opiate trafficking as it is the most frequently used route for smuggling heroin and morphine, according to a recent report from the police's anti-narcotic unit.

A total of 132 people were arrested in the southern province of Adana leg of the anti-drug operations announced by Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu on Oct. 4.

After nine months of technical and physical follow-up, the police launched simultaneous operations in Adana and the northern province of Samsun under the coordination of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Offices.

Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu has announced that 75 suspects were detained in an anti-drug operation in the Central Anatolian province of Nevşehir.

Elaborating on the file consisting of 153 suspects, some of whom were detained in a six-month period, he said that another 75 suspects, including drug dealers, suppliers and shippers, were detained on Sept. 9.

Police await official confirmation of reports on Thursday that Jovan Vukotic, the alleged head of the notorious Skaljari drug gang, was killed in Turkey.

Albanian police on Wednesday seized 45.5 kg of cocaine found in a container in the Port of Durres during a police operation codenamed "Transit".

The company's administrator and a customs agent contracted by the company were detained on charges of trafficking in narcotics.

Istanbul police have seized 1.1 tons of methamphetamine, a record amount of a potent central nervous system stimulant used as a recreational drug, during simultaneous anti-drug operations held on May 24.

"A big anti-drug operation. Congratulations to Turkish police," Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said in a tweet.

Trade in the amphetamine-type stimulant captagon in the Middle East grew exponentially in 2021 to top $5 billion, posing an increasing health and security risk to the region, a report said.

Research by the New Lines Institute, to be released Tuesday and seen by AFP, paints an alarming picture of the impact booming captagon production is having on the region.

More than 500 kilograms of cocaine have been seized on a Turkish-flagged fishing boat off the coast of Guinea and 10 people have been detained in connection with the drug smuggling, the Turkish Directorate General of Security has announced.