Turkish forces seize 5 tons of powdered marijuana

Nearly 5 tons of powdered marijuana were seized in international waters on the Mediterranean Sea, Turkey's Interior Ministry said.

The operation against drug smugglers was conducted by Turkish police, gendarmerie and coast guard on April 15.

Acting on a tip-off, Turkish security forces determined that suspected drug traffickers aboard a Turkish flagged fishing boat set off from the country’s Aegean province of Izmir to the coasts of Mauritania, Morocco and Algeria, to acquire large amounts of drugs. The suspects were aiming to transfer the drugs into fishing vessels in international waters before smuggling them into Turkish territorial waters.

A total of 13 suspects including 6 crew members were detained across Turkey during the joint operation on accusations of drug trafficking, Anadolu Agency reported.