Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 10
By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend:
Turkish police are conducting an operation against drug traffickers in Istanbul's Pendik district, Trend reports referring to Turkish media.
Five people suspected of drug trafficking have been detained as part of the operation, the reports said.
The operation to detain drug traffickers will be conducted in other areas of Istanbul as well, Turkish media reported.
Recently, 1,271 tons of narcotics were seized during the police operation carried out by the police in the province of Erzincan.
Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu had said that the country is facing a great risk and must tighten the fight against drug addiction and drug trafficking.
The minister noted that during 2016, 520 people died from drug overdose in Turkey, and in 2017, the death toll reached 1,020 people.
"The death toll from drug overdose is growing every year," the minister said.
The minimum age of Turkish citizens who started using drugs is 13 years old, the average age – 36 years old, the maximum age - 65 years old.
Thus, 2.9 percent of the country's population account for drug addicts aged 15-24, 2.8 percent - those aged 25-44, 2.3 percent - drug addicts aged 45-64.
There are 22 centers in the country where the drug addicts are undergoing treatment.
Some 18 percent of the total number of people arrested in the country in 2016 accounted for drug dealers. More than 300,000 people have been detained in Istanbul for using and selling drugs over the past four years.
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