The Turkish Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate published a comprehensive report highlighting Turkey’s global role in the illicit drug trade. It underlines Turkey’s status as a transit country for illegal drug trafficking.
The report provides insights into international drug production and trafficking routes. Specifically for Turkey, it presents data on drug seizures and the number of suspects arrested throughout 2022.
‘INSUFFICIENT EFFORTS IN COMBATING DRUGS’
Despite the significant amount of drugs seized in Turkey last year, the report indicates that the increase in operations and arrests is insufficient. It emphasizes that the decrease of drug related incidents and suspects does not necessarily imply a successful fight against drugs.
‘MORE THAN 2 TONS OF COCAINE SEIZED IN 2022’
Turkey is an important transit country for cocaine trafficking in Europe, with the majority originating from South American nations. In 2022, law enforcement agencies conducted 3,827 cocaine-related operations, resulting in the arrest of 5,467 suspects and the seizure of 2,299 kilograms of cocaine. However, this amount represents a 19.1 percent decrease compared to the previous year.
The report also highlights Turkey as a “target country” for the illegal trade of methamphetamine. Police operations targeting methamphetamine have increased since 2019, and a record quantity of the drug was seized in Turkey in 2022.
Moreover, the report highlights Turkey’s role as a transit country for smuggling chemicals used in drug production. It provides case studies to illustrate this trend. The report also addresses new transportation methods employed by traffickers to avoid detection and provides data on drug-related deaths. In 2022, there were 246 deaths related to drug use, with a steady decline observed since 2017. Notably, 146 of these deaths were linked to methamphetamine consumption.
It is clear from the report that Turkey faces ongoing challenges in combating drug trafficking. For this reason, the report calls for intensified efforts to address this issue effectively.