Nine tonnes of methamphetamine seized in Turkiye in two weeks

ISTANBUL: Turkish officials have seized nearly nine tonnes of methamphetamine, half of it at the Iranian border, in the last two weeks, the interior minister said on Thursday.

Ali Yerlikaya said 4.16 tonnes of metamphetamine were seized during this period, including 3.5 tonnes in Istanbul and the rest in other cities including Izmir in the west and Hakkari near the border with Iran and Iraq. More than 4.5 tonnes had been found at the beginning of November in three trucks crossing into Turkiye from Iran, according to Turkish customs.

Turkish police confiscated nearly 22 tonnes of methamphetamine last year, a sharp increase over previous years, according to official figures.

Methamphetamine is a stimulant whose effects are two to five times more intense and long-lasting than amphetamine, with greater addictive potential, experts say.

This synthetic drug, popular in Turkiye, is sold in Europe or North America in the form of crystals, powder, capsules or tablets.