Turkish Customs Enforcement seizes 493kg of drugs worth $15M

Türkiye’s Customs Enforcement Teams conducted successful anti-drug operations at the Ipsala and Esendere Border Gates, seizing a total of 493 kilograms of narcotics valued at approximately ₺529 million ($15 million).

Ipsala Border Gate: 118 kilograms of drugs seized

Customs Enforcement teams at the Ipsala Border Gate, which connects Türkiye and Greece, intercepted narcotics in two separate operations.

The seizures were carried out after meticulous risk analysis and targeting studies conducted by the Ipsala Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate.

• Vehicles, including a bus and a car, were directed to x-ray scanning systems for detailed inspection.
• Following the identification of suspicious densities, narcotic detection dogs assisted in comprehensive searches.
• Authorities discovered 118 kilograms of skunk cannabis and cocaine, concealed in 137 packages hidden in various compartments of the vehicles.

The total value of the drugs seized at the Ipsala Border Gate is estimated at ₺79 million ($2.25 million).

Esendere Border Gate: 375 kilograms of heroin found

In a separate operation at the Esendere Border Gate, which connects Türkiye and Iran, Customs Enforcement Teams targeted a cement-laden truck after analyzing suspicious activity.

• The vehicle was subjected to an x-ray scan, revealing abnormal densities within the cargo.
• A subsequent detailed search uncovered 375 kilograms of heroin, carefully hidden among the cement cargo.
• The value of the heroin seized is estimated at 450 million Turkish liras ($12.8 million).

The Esendere Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate emphasized the importance of continuous monitoring and advanced targeting techniques in preventing drug trafficking.