About 128,000 people are behind bars for drug-related crimes in Turkey, accounting for about one-third of the country's prison population. Some 310 suspects were detained for drug-related crimes during raids in Izmir, western Turkey, early today.
Those who were detained are accused of "drug production and trafficking."
At a press conference at the Izmir Police Headquarters Riot Police Directorate, Interior Minister Süleyman Soylu said, "While there are a total of 36,000 detainees and convicts in prisons, the number of detainees and convicts in prisons has now reached 128,200."
He also announced that waste waters in sewers in 65 cities in Turkey are analyzed to detect drug use.
On May 5, some 112 people accused of "drug trafficking" were detained in Afyonkarahisar.
According to a statement by the Interior Ministry, the number of people imprisoned or convicted for drug crimes has increased from 36,000 to 128,000 in the last 7 years.
According to data from the Ministry of Justice, the total number of prisoners in Turkey is 341,497. In other words, about one-third of prisoners are in prison for drug crimes
Source: English Bianet
