Turkiye foils major drug smuggling attempt from Lebanon via Syria

A narcotic detection dog, responsible in operations and finding drugs hidden places in a short time, searches a vehicle as it takes part in a traffic control in Turkiye on March 1, 2024 [Ozkan Bilgin/Anadolu via Getty Images]

Turkish authorities have foiled an attempt to smuggle large quantities of drugs from Lebanon via Syria, the Turkish Ikhlas Agency reported yesterday.

“Turkish intelligence prevented the drug shipment after a two-month operation involving two local military factions in northern Syria,” Ikhlas said, adding that 26 members of a drug smuggling and trafficking gang had been arrested while the authorities confiscated about 621,000 captagon pills, 50 kilogrammes of hashish, and 208 grammes of methamphetamine, seized three vehicles and raided six homes and a warehouse.

“Turkish security authorities explained that the drugs came from Lebanon to the areas administered by Turkiye via the Homs-Raqqa road,” Ikhlas concluded.

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