ISTANBUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- Turkish anti-narcotics police seized nearly 450 kg of methamphetamine and arrested five suspects, including a foreigner, in Istanbul, the governor's office said in a statement on Monday.
The operation comes as part of a probe into the illicit trafficking of drugs, said the statement.
Upon a tip-off, the police began tracking the suspects allegedly involved in drug trafficking and stopped a car and two trucks in the Tuzla district, where 447.5 kg of liquid narcotics were found concealed in 20 drums, it added.
Turkish security forces frequently launch operations against drug dealers as part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown on drug use and trafficking.
According to the Istanbul governor's office, a total of 8.5 tons of drugs and more than 2.5 million pills had been seized in counter-narcotic operations throughout the city during the January-July period. ■
