Turkish authorities on Thursday launched a sweeping anti-narcotics operation targeting 25 suspects, including actress Serenay Sarıkaya, singer Mabel Matiz and journalist Mirgün Cabas, following an investigation led by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was carried out after investigators reviewed digital materials, examined tipoffs and conducted technical surveillance that allegedly uncovered evidence of drug use by a number of public figures, according to media reports.
Teams from the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command carried out simultaneous raids at 25 locations, including 24 addresses across Istanbul’s Beşiktaş, Sarıyer, Beyoğlu, Kağıthane and Üsküdar districts, as well as one address in the southwestern province of Muğla.
Among the other names reportedly detained were singers Berkay Şahin and Tan Taşçı, as well as rapper Hakan Aydın, known by his stage name Blok 3.
Authorities said items seized during searches included suspected marijuana, ecstasy pills, electronic cigarettes believed to contain liquid cannabis, cannabis-infused candy, methamphetamine, a precision scale, an empty syringe and empty lock bags.
Türkiye has intensified anti-drug operations in recent years, with officials increasingly targeting both organized narcotics networks and alleged drug use within the entertainment industry.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek has repeatedly pledged a tougher crackdown on narcotics, describing drugs as one of society’s “bleeding wounds” in previous remarks.
