Over 1,250 suspects held in operations across Turkey

At least 1,281 suspects were nabbed in simultaneous operations across Turkey over the past 24 hours, the Interior Ministry said on Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry said 63,591 security personnel were part of the “Turkey Peace Security” operations carried out in different areas of the country.

It said search operations were carried out at shopping malls, abandoned buildings, fair grounds, event and entertainment venues, bus terminals and other public transport stations, piers and ports, routes leading to airports, internet cafes, and other public places.

Along with the suspects arrested for various crimes, 24 missing persons, two of them children, were also recovered in the operations.

At least 45 unlicensed handguns, 15 unlicensed shotguns, 18 blank firing guns, and 704 bullets were seized.

Security forces also recovered 22,675 grams of marijuana, nearly 50 grams of heroin, 14 grams of cocaine, 653 grams of the synthetic drug called bonsai, 3,000 grams of methamphetamine, 1,382 root cannabis, 942 ecstasy pills, 312 synthetic drugs, 696 smuggled cigarettes, and 13,750 grams of smuggled tobacco.

Four historical artifacts were also seized during the operations, the statement added.