Turkish police detained 42 suspects on 13 October 2026 in a crackdown across 13 provinces on an international drug network linked to over 10 tonnes of narcotics, the Interior Ministry said.[1]
The Istanbul-centred operation involved 2,000 officers under the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office with Interpol-Europol support; analysis of encrypted communications exposed trafficking in heroin, cannabis and cocaine totalling 10.1 tonnes.[1] The ring organised production, shipments and distribution across countries and provinces, with ringleaders managing transport logistics and chemical supplies.[1] Assets worth over 7.65 billion liras (about $153 million) — bank and crypto accounts of 163 people, 556 properties, 155 vehicles and stakes in 71 firms — were seized.[1]