18.8 billion lira worth of operations at customs in 10 months
As a result of activities carried out in the fight against illegal trade in the first 10 months of this year, 18.8 billion lira worth of contraband and narcotics were seized.
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Minister of Trade Ömer Bolat provided information on the activities carried out by customs enforcement teams within the scope of the fight against smuggling during the January-October period of 2023 in a post on the social media platform X.
Stating that as a ministry, they have continued the fight against illegal trade during the period in question, Bolat said, "Our customs enforcement teams have carried out seizures of countless types and varieties, ranging from narcotics to fuel, tobacco and tobacco products to electronic cigarettes, alcoholic beverages to cultural assets, textiles to food, precious metals to medical supplies, and automotive spare parts to live animal smuggling."
Bolat reported that 8.8 tons of narcotics worth 3.6 billion lira and various types of contraband commercial goods worth 15.2 billion lira were seized as a result of the teams' vigilance and efforts.
TYPES OF SEIZED NARCOTICS AND CONTRABAND GOODS
In the statement made by the ministry, information regarding the details of the seized narcotics and contraband goods was shared. It was reported that during the period in question, 4.3 tons of cannabis, 2.1 tons of methamphetamine, 814 kilograms of cocaine, 249 kilograms of heroin, 301 kilograms of ecstasy, and 206 kilograms of opium gum were seized through the operations of customs enforcement teams.
The statement also touched upon the operations carried out against commercial goods smuggling and shared the following information regarding the types of seized goods:
"870 tons of fuel, 376 million macarons, 27 million cigarette filters, 605 thousand electronic cigarettes and components, 5 million 600 thousand units of electronic cigarette tobacco, 900 thousand packs of cigarettes, 4 million 348 thousand electronic items including mobile phones and accessories, 3 thousand 754 tons of food, 153 thousand automotive spare parts, 1 million 263 thousand medical supplies, 440 thousand clothing items, 801 tons of precious metals, 3 thousand 865 historical artifacts, and 3 thousand 502 animals and plants under CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) were determined to be contraband and were not permitted to enter the country."