Turkish-Greek operation seizes 4.5 million opiate pills

By Sertac Bulur

ANKARA

Turkish and Greek anti-narcotics squads seized 4.5 million opiate pills in a joint operation at Greece’s Piraeus port in the capital Athens, Turkish police sources told Anadolu Agency on Friday.

Turkish anti-narcotics police had received a tipoff about the existence of a "large amount" of opiate drugs in a container coming from Syria, security sources said earlier.

A special team was sent to Greece to share the information with Greek police.

An operation was carried out on Jan. 7 and police discovered the drugs, which were hidden in lead pipes in the container.

Greek police confirmed there were 4.5 million pills weighing 750 kilograms (1,653 pounds).

The shipment was believed to have been organized by the PYD/YPG terrorist organization.

Greek and Turkish police are on the lookout for the suspects.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- has been responsible for the deaths of some 40,000 people, including many women and children. The PYD/YPG is its Syrian branch.

Last November, Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu said the PKK terrorist group controls 80 percent of the drug trade in Europe, earning around $1.5 billion per year.

Speaking at a meeting on the fight against drug addiction in southern Adana province, Soylu said terrorist organizations are selling drugs and buying weapons.