Turkey makes record heroin bust (2200 lbs) worth millions of euros

AFP ^ | 28 Jan 2004 | AFP

[Turk2]

Turkey makes record heroin bust worth millions of euros Wed Jan 28,12:56 PM ET Add World - AFP to My Yahoo!

ISTANBUL(AFP) - Turkish police said that they had seized a record one tonne (2,200 pounds) of heroin worth millions of euros in an operation in Istanbul, the biggest heroin bust in Europe ever.

The massive haul was found in the basement of a small sugar cube factory in the Buyukcekmece district in Istanbul's European quarter in an operation on Monday, police said in a written statement.

After trailing the suspected smugglers for three months, narcotics officers raided the site when they realized the gang was getting ready to transfer the haul abroad, it added.

"According to statistics, the drugs seized in this operation constitute the biggest amount of heroin caught in an operation in Europe to date," the statement said, adding that the drug had been brought in from Afghanistan (news - web sites) and Pakistan.

A senior narcotics officer told AFP that the market in Turkey for heroin remained relatively small compared to Europe where there was a larger number of addicts.

"The drugs flow to where the money is. A kilo of heroin would bring about 8,000-9,000 euros in Turkey whereas the price of a kilo would jump to about 30,000 euros in Europe," he said on condition of anonymity.

The police statement said that seven suspects had been detained in Monday's operation and that they would appear in court to be charged after being questioned by police.

It described one of the suspects as the organizer of the smuggling operation and the remaining as owners of the factory where the drugs were seized.

Five of the suspects were relatives from Yuksekova, a tiny town in the mountainous southeastern corner of Turkey known as a hotbed of drugs smuggling activities, it added.

The mainly-Kurdish town was among places where an armed Kurdish rebel group -- which led a 15-year armed campaign for self-rule in Turkey's southeast -- was influential.

Turkey has often accused the group, the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) of involvement in drugs smuggling to finance its operations.

The narcotics officer told AFP that they were looking for three more suspects who were reportedly the owners of the haul.

Before Monday's operation, the biggest amount of heroin seized in Turkey stood at 507 kilos (1,115 pounds).

Turkey is a major route of drug trafficking and people-smuggling between Asia and Europe.

According to the Turkish interior ministry's department against organized crime and smuggling, Turkey, straddling both Asia and Europe, is on one of the oldest routes for transferring heroin produced in Afghanistan and it environs to western markets.

With its proximity to Europe and opium-producing southwestern Asian countries, Turkey is also used for the easterly flow of synthetic drugs and chemicals used in the production of heroin from the west, the department said on its website.

"The target of chemicals coming in from Europe and Russia is illegal heroin laboratories in southwestern Asia while synthetic drugs find their way into Arab countries," it said.

According to official statistics, police have seized a total of 3,540 kilos of heroin in the past 11 months, while 970 kilos were seized in 2002.

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler (L) gestures as he holds a news conference with city police chief Celalettin Cerrah (R) in front of a tonne of heroin displayed at city police headquarters in Istanbul January 28, 2004. 'This was a very important operation, representing the highest volume of heroin seized in Turkey or Europe until now', Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler told a news conference at the city's police headquarters on Wednesday. Seven people were detained during the operation. REUTERS/Cihan News Agency

Turkish authorities display heroin in Istanbul January 28, 2004. 'This was a very important operation, representing the highest volume of heroin seized in Turkey or Europe until now', Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler told a news conference at the city's police headquarters on Wednesday. Seven people were detained during the operation. REUTERS/str

Turkish authorities display a ton of heroin in Istanbul January 28, 2004. 'This was a very important operation, representing the highest volume of heroin seized in Turkey or Europe until now,' Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler told a news conference at the city's police headquarters on Wednesday. Seven people were detained during the operation which was captured on film by a police camera. REUTERS/Reuters TV

[July 4th]

Whoa...crap, that's a lotta heroin.

[jtminton]

There's going to be a lot of car stereos stolen to pay for the jump in heroin prices this is going to cause the average junky.

[OldFriend]

Turkey has always been at the forefront of fighting drugs.

[Bogey78O]

Man, without their heroin the Hollywood left is going to go crazy.

[Xthe17th]

Paging Billy Hayes:

[George W. Bush]

Libertarians don't need to worry. Afghanistan had a bumper crop which is being processed and shipped by our Islamic allies in Kosovo, like usual.

Looks like the Turks are more serious about this than we are.

I wouldn't be surprised if they have a personal stake in reducing this heroin trade, seeing as it is probably the Kurdish terrorist elements who are key to the distribution network.

At any rate, good for Turkey.

[lelio]

Since I didn't read a "Heroin in Coming Back!!!" headline last year, I expect to see one now. Seems to come back every 2 or 3 years.

A kilo of heroin would bring about 8,000-9,000 euros in Turkey whereas the price of a kilo would jump to about 30,000 euros in Europe

Is that street or wholesale price?

[Moleman]

That's a lot of smack Jack

[Clemenza]

Billy Holiday and John Coltrane are rolling over in their graves...trying to get to all that heroin.

[Michael.SF.]

Look for this Headline to make Toranto's column:

Who knew Turkey's were now working undercover?

[mtorre]

Victory manifests itself in many ways. On person being denied Herion I think is somewhat of a victory.

[Imal]

"The drugs flow to where the money is."

[NYC GOP Chick]

It comes up as a RedXBox, but I know *exactly* what you were thinking!

[gaspar]

2,200 lbs = 1 metric ton. 1 metric ton of heroin = 10 metric tons of opium. 10 metric tons of opium = 10,000 kilos of opium. Afghanistan production: 50 kg/per hectare. Area cultivated 200 hectares (or 500 acres). Though a huge haul, it's a drop in the bucket.

[AxelPaulsenJr]

Gosh MrLeRoy and others in the anti-wod movement, it would seem that Turkey hasn't gotten your message that the WOD in the U.S. isn't working!