Istanbul police arrest street vendors in drug bust

Early Friday morning, police in Istanbul arrested 10 people in a raid against drug cartels who are using street vendors to sell illegal drugs. In the early morning operation, officers seized 67 kilograms (148 pounds) of methamphetamine, 32 kilograms (71 pounds) of opium, 32,000 tablets of a synthetic drug and 897 kilograms (1,978 pounds) of illegal substances. Backed by a helicopter, police swarmed 16 local addresses in the Zeytinburnu and Bağcılar districts of Istanbul, according to the Istanbul police department's narcotics unit. The arrests included foreigners who were allegedly operating a drug ring that includes street vendors who deal illegal drugs alongside their normal merchandise. The raids were the result of a year-long investigation, the police said, adding that more raids will be conducted in other parts of Turkey.