Türkiye seized nearly 35 metric tons of drugs and 87.1 million drug pills in operations carried out during the first eight months of 2026, as authorities intensified efforts against narcotics-related crimes, Interior Ministry data showed.
Between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31, authorities conducted 37,506 operations targeting drug manufacturing and trafficking offenses.
A total of 250,931 people were detained in narcotics-related operations during the period, with 31,754 suspects arrested and judicial control measures imposed on 14,331 others.
Of those detained, 59,166 were suspects in drug manufacturing and trafficking cases. Some 30,727 were arrested, while 11,343 were placed under judicial control.
Of the 35 tons of drugs seized by authorities, there were approximately 12.6 tons of skunk, 9.9 tons of cannabis, 9.1 tons of methamphetamine, 1.3 tons of cocaine, 1.1 tons of heroin, 939 kilograms (2,070 pounds) of bonzai and 48 kilograms of opium resin.
They also seized 87.1 million drug pills, including 77.6 million synthetic pharmaceutical pills, 8 million captagon pills and 1.5 million ecstasy pills, as well as 19 million cannabis and skunk plants.
During the same period last year, authorities seized 27.4 tons of drugs, 94.6 million drug pills and 57.2 million cannabis and skunk plants.
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek said Sunday that authorities had seized approximately 350 kilograms (772 pounds) of cocaine concealed in the underwater hull of a vessel that arrived at Mersin Port in southern Türkiye from Brazil.
The cocaine was hidden in the section containing the vessel’s engine cooling water system and was allegedly intended to be retrieved by divers and transported to western provinces.
The seized cocaine was estimated to have a market value of approximately TL 1.5 billion ($33.7 million), he said.
Nine suspects identified through technical and physical surveillance were detained, and legal proceedings were initiated against them on charges of manufacturing and trafficking narcotic or stimulant substances.
Gürlek also recalled that an international drug-trafficking gang leader, Islam Yakut, who had been wanted since 2017, was captured in Istanbul last week.
“We will continue our fight against drug crimes targeting our young people and our future with determination, from the source to the distribution network and from financiers to kingpins,” Gürlek said.
Under the Narcotics Case Analysis System (NARVAS), authorities recorded 117,036 reports between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31.
Based on these reports, security forces conducted 157,636 inspections and 12,606 operations, taking action against 14,309 suspects.
The operations resulted in the seizure of 125 kilograms of drugs, 569,348 drug pills, 350 handguns and 446 rifles.
The Interior Ministry has also stepped up education and prevention efforts as part of its broader campaign against drug use and trafficking.
Through a series of initiatives, authorities reached 4.34 million people between Jan. 1 and Aug. 31 this year, bringing the total number of people reached through such programs since 2022 to nearly 37 million.
