The Trade Ministry announced Saturday that approximately TL 922 million ($28.8 million) worth of drugs, contraband gold, cigarettes, spare parts and goods were seized as a result of operations conducted by customs enforcement teams.
According to the statement from the ministry, customs enforcement teams at Istanbul Airport seized around 49 kilograms of drugs hidden in passenger and cargo goods during the first week of March, with an estimated value of about TL 34 million.
Additionally, as part of narcotics risk analyses and vehicle and passenger controls conducted by the customs enforcement teams at Kadıköy, Dereköy, Kapıkule customs gates and Istanbul Airport, approximately 60 kilograms of narcotics with a market value of about TL 80 million were seized.
Moreover, the teams subjected two containers brought to Türkiye via Kocaeli to X-ray scanning. Upon observing suspicious densities, a physical search was conducted, resulting in the seizure of 4,203 automotive spare parts, including airbags, screens, headlights, indicator panels and control units, placed in nylon bags.
Similarly, in Kocaeli, a container that was identified as suspicious through risk analysis underwent scrutiny. Upon examination, 123 second-hand automotive engine parts were found concealed within the legal cargo. As a result, a total of TL 90 million worth of contraband spare parts were seized during the operation.
Likewise, in an operation said to be conducted by the Kapıkule Customs Enforcement Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate teams, apart from legal cargo detected as part of a screening of a truck, some TL 10.5 million worth of contraband goods were seized during the search.
In a separate operation, at a vehicle arriving at Pendik Port, a total of 125,000 packets of contraband cigarettes worth TL 7.12 million were seized.
In the first quarter of 2024, there was a 2,598% increase in the value of seized contraband gold compared to the same period of the previous year. Accordingly, approximately 364 kilograms of contraband gold, valued at about TL 700 million, were seized during this period.
As a result of successful operations conducted by Customs Enforcement teams at different locations and different time smuggling amounting to approximately TL 922 million was prevented.