ANKARA, March 28 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police have detained 434 suspected drug traffickers in anti-narcotics operations across 53 provinces, the country's Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on Thursday.
The police seized a total of 1,043 kg of narcotics and 387,000 narcotic pills during the operations, Yerlikaya noted on social media platform X.
"I want our esteemed nation to know that we will never allow drug dealers to poison our future, our youth, and our society. Our operations against drug traffickers and street dealers will continue resolutely across every corner of our country," he added.
Video footage posted on the minister's X account showed police entering apartments and buildings and putting suspects into vehicles.
Located at the crossroads of Asia and Europe, Türkiye has been grappling with international drug smuggling for years. Turkish security forces frequently launch operations against drug dealers as part of an ongoing nationwide crackdown on drug abuse and trafficking. ■
