ISTANBUL, May 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkish police seized raw materials sufficient to produce 15 tons of the synthetic drug "bonzai" and detained 16 suspects during a large-scale operation in Istanbul on Wednesday, authorities announced.
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X that the operation targeted four major districts across the city.
"A total of 144 kilograms of narcotic substances -- enough to manufacture approximately 15 tons of synthetic drug bonzai -- and 8.4 million drug pills were confiscated," Yerlikaya stated.
He added that 16 drug traffickers, including two foreigners, were apprehended during the operation.
The Turkish government has launched frequent anti-drug operations. Yerlikaya urged citizens to report any suspicious activity, assuring that authorities would take the necessary action. ■
