In an operation jointly conducted by the MIT, gendarmerie, and coast guard units off the coast of Kocaeli, 106 kilograms of cocaine were seized from a Panama-flagged ship. The market value of the seized drugs is reported to be approximately 500 million Turkish liras.

Upon receiving intelligence that drugs were on board the vessel, which was determined to have departed from Panama, the Istanbul MIT Regional Directorate and gendarmerie teams sprang into action. The ship, which entered Turkish territorial waters, was stopped by coast guard units while sailing towards Istanbul off the coast of Kocaeli.

Accompanied by coast guard boats, the ship was towed to Ambarlı Port, where a thorough search was conducted with the participation of detector dogs. During the inspections, 106 kilograms of cocaine were found hidden inside containers.

The drugs were secured by the security forces, and a comprehensive investigation into the incident was initiated.

It has been learned that a multifaceted judicial investigation launched by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office is ongoing to uncover the destination and connections of the large shipment.

Security sources indicated that operations targeting international drug trafficking networks will continue to increase.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye