UN report reveals: Turkey, transit point for drug trafficking

The UN International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) stated in its recently announced 2022 report that Turkey is used as a transit point for many drugs delivered to Middle Eastern and European markets.

According to the Voice of America report, in the comprehensive 160-page international narcotics report, it was noted that Turkey’s position as a global transit point in the drug market is increasing. In the report, it was stated that a significant amount of cocaine was seized, especially from South America, which was smuggled into Turkey, which could indicate that Turkey’s use of cocaine smuggling as a transit point has increased. to the Middle East and European markets.

The report indicates that part of the cocaine sent from South America to Turkey was seized in the ports to which it was sent and part in the destinations in Turkey. It is recalled that more than 250 kg of cocaine sent to Turkey were seized by the authorities Turks. in the port of Mersin in April 2022.

‘THE MOST IMPORTANT POINT OF HEROIN SMUGGLING’

In the report, it was stated that according to the latest assessments, organized crime groups in Turkey are increasingly turning to cocaine to offset falling opium prices. It was recorded that 1.96 tons of cocaine were seized in Turkey in 2020, and this figure reached a record level of 2.8 tons in 2022.

In the report, which states that Turkey and the Balkan countries are a major transit point for drugs shipped from Iran and Afghanistan to the Middle East and Europe, “the Balkan route remains the most important route for heroin smuggling. Although half of the smuggling of heroin and morphine worldwide takes place via this route, the amount of heroin seized in the Balkan countries and Western and Central European countries has decreased in 2020.

A record level of 22.2 tons of heroin was claimed to have been seized in Turkey in 2021, an increase of almost 70% compared to the 13.2 tons seized in 2019.

‘HUGE INCREASE IN METH USE’

In the report, it was emphasized that heroin smuggling routes from Iran and Turkey are also used for methamphetamine smuggling and this risk is gradually increasing. These two countries were claimed to have reported significant increases in methamphetamine smuggling in their respective regions.

It was noted that large increases in methamphetamine smuggling continued to be observed in Turkey in 2021, approximately 1 ton of methamphetamine was seized in the country in 2019, this amount reached 4.1 tons in 2020 and 5.5 tons in 2021. It was also claimed that in the first five months of 2022, three large shipments of methamphetamine were seized at the Istanbul airport cargo terminal.

It was claimed that drug use, especially methamphetamine, has become a major public health threat in Turkey, with deaths increasing with the increase in drug trafficking in recent years.

It was noted that the rate of methamphetamine-related deaths among all drug-related deaths in Turkey was 6.2% in 2018, and this rate increased to 31.2% in 2020. It was noted that there has been a shift towards easier to obtain and lower priced substances on the market in Turkey, which has led to a significant increase in drug abuse cases and changes in trends.