Trade Minister Mehmet Muş announced on Tuesday that authorities seized 86,245 bottles of bootleg alcoholic drinks, one of the biggest hauls in recent years. Muş congratulated customs officers who work for his ministry and conducted the operation in Mersin, a Mediterranean port city. The exact location of the operation or if any suspects were detained were not announced.

Bootleg alcohol consumption has thrived in the country, where prices of alcoholic beverages are considerably high for regular drinkers. Criminal groups also seek to profit from drinks smuggled into the country. Taking advantage of the situation, bootleg alcohol producers often turn to cheaper but deadlier substances for production, which contributed to the high number of fatalities from fake alcoholic drinks in recent years.