Photo: Screengrab from the video posted by the Istanbul Police Department.
Istanbul: Turkish police have incinerated nearly 10 tonnes of confiscated narcotics in Istanbul, local authorities said Tuesday, as part of a massive crackdown on transnational drug smuggling networks.
The illicit drugs were destroyed at a facility, the Istanbul Police Department said in a statement on the social media platform X, alongside video footage of the disposal.
The department described the ongoing fight against narcotics as "a struggle to protect the future of our youth and public health."
Straddling Europe and Asia, Türkiye serves as a major transit route for international cartels attempting to smuggle drugs to European markets.
Turkish authorities have stepped up border security to combat the illicit traffic. The Trade Ministry reported Monday that customs guards intercepted 52.6 tonnes of narcotics at border crossings during the first nine months of the year.
Meanwhile, by mid-September, internal security forces seized an additional 36 tonnes of drugs in nationwide operations, official data showed.
