Over 260 kilograms of methamphetamine seized in İstanbul raids

İstanbul police have seized more than 260 kilograms of methamphetamine in a series of police raids across the city, according to Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Operations were carried out by the Narcotics Division of the İstanbul Security Directorate in the districts of Pendik, Sancaktepe, Beyoğlu, and Beylikdüzü. A total of 261 kilograms of methamphetamine, 90.5 kilograms of skunk, 66 kilograms of heroin, and 36 kilograms of other chemical substances were confiscated.

“We apprehended 10 suspects in the operations, all of whom have been arrested,” Yerlikaya said on social media.

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive synthetic stimulant. Though chemically similar to amphetamines, it has more potent effects on the central nervous system. In Turkey, the drug has become increasingly common among workers in physically demanding sectors due to its low cost and prolonged stimulating effects, as well as other vulnerable segments of society.

According to the 2024 Turkey Drug Report by the police anti-narcotics department, methamphetamine is now the leading substance in addiction treatment admissions, accounting for 37% of reported cases.

The report also noted a sharp increase in methamphetamine seizures since 2019, with a record-breaking 21 tons confiscated nationwide in 2024, the highest annual total in the country’s history.

(TY/VK)