In a joint operation with the Spanish National Police, teams from the Turkish Directorate General for Combating Smuggling and Organised Crime seized 1.7 tonnes of cocaine disguised in fossil flour inside a container from South America with final destination Spain, which was calling at the Turkish port of Ambarlı. Three members of a criminal organisation were arrested in connection with the anti-drug investigation.
As reported by the Turkish public broadcaster TRT Haber citing sources from the Turkish Ministry of Trade, a container carrying fossil flour from South America to Spain, which had arrived in transit at the port of Ambarlı in Istanbul, was considered “risky” by customs officials. Following inspections at the port, 1.7 tonnes of cocaine were detected embedded in the fossil flour, prompting the Büyükçekmece (Istanbul) Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office to open an investigation.
As part of the investigation, the Turkish authorities organised a controlled delivery in order to identify all those involved in the attempted drug trafficking. The container was then transferred to the port of Barcelona, under joint surveillance by Turkish customs and Spanish police officers.
Once on Spanish territory, the movement of the container continued to be monitored until its arrival in Madrid, where the Spain‘s National Police carried out a raid. Turkish customs officers also participated in the operation, which resulted in the arrest of three members of the criminal network when they came to collect the goods.
In their fight against smuggling, Turkish customs officers have managed to intercept – during the first nine months of this year alone – illegal goods worth 74.8 billion Turkish Liras (about 1.55 billion euros).
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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