Turkey busts record heroin operation - Political Forum

Public_Enemy · 02-12-2007, 10:28 AM

Turkish customs authorities seized 565 kilograms of heroin at the border with Bulgaria and detained 14 suspects, a government minister said Saturday. The heroin had been hidden inside a truck carrying pizza boxes to the Netherlands, said Kürşad Tüzmen, the minister in charge of foreign trade and customs. Authorities at the Kapıkule border crossing discovered the drug shipment on Thursday, after the truck passed through a new X-ray machine, Tüzmen said. He gave no further information about the truck or the suspects, but private Doğan news agency reported that the suspects were detained in raids that followed confiscation of the drugs.
It was not immediately clear where the drugs had originated. Turkey is a major transit point for smugglers, and authorities estimated the drugs were worth about $28 million on the market. Tüzmen said the haul was the biggest ever in Turkey and the seizure was the result of a long investigation.

Turkey busts record heroin operation - Turkish Daily News Feb 12, 2007

Well, Some states including US were claiming that Turkey is a major transport route for smugglers but Turkey didn't have enough equipment before, now as soon as I know US gave those x-rays as aid, and Turkey seize the the drugs easily..

george.d · 02-12-2007, 09:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Public_Enemy

Turkish customs authorities seized 565 kilograms of heroin at the border with Bulgaria and detained 14 suspects, a government minister said Saturday. The heroin had been hidden inside a truck carrying pizza boxes to the Netherlands, said Kürşad Tüzmen, the minister in charge of foreign trade and customs. Authorities at the Kapıkule border crossing discovered the drug shipment on Thursday, after the truck passed through a new X-ray machine, Tüzmen said. He gave no further information about the truck or the suspects, but private Doğan news agency reported that the suspects were detained in raids that followed confiscation of the drugs.
It was not immediately clear where the drugs had originated. Turkey is a major transit point for smugglers, and authorities estimated the drugs were worth about $28 million on the market. Tüzmen said the haul was the biggest ever in Turkey and the seizure was the result of a long investigation.

Turkey busts record heroin operation - Turkish Daily News Feb 12, 2007

Well, Some states including US were claiming that Turkey is a major transport route for smugglers but Turkey didn't have enough equipment before, now as soon as I know US gave those x-rays as aid, and Turkey seize the the drugs easily..

Sounds like a typical drug bust in any country. The US Department of Drug Enforcement (DEA) estimates they intercept maybe 10% of illegal drugs entering the US. Most every major drug bust in the US is the result of long investigations that turn members of a drug cartel into informants who provide information for interceptions. It's considered a cost of doing business in the illegal drug trade. Legislation and enforcement of morality is a thankless job.