Turkish authorities move to arrest suspects in major cocaine case

(MENAFN) Turkish prosecutors requested on Thursday the arrest of ten individuals in an investigation tied to a ship carrying 10 tons of cocaine that Spanish authorities intercepted near the Canary Islands earlier this month.

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office said it had completed questioning 12 suspects detained during coordinated raids across six provinces before referring them to the courts.

Authorities asked for ten arrests on charges including drug trafficking and forming a criminal organization. The remaining two suspects were sent to court with requests for judicial oversight. Legal proceedings are ongoing.

Spanish forces seized the cocaine on January 7 aboard the vessel UNITED S, operating in international waters near the Canary Islands. Thirteen crew members were detained, four of them Turkish nationals, as stated by the prosecutor’s office.

Following the seizure, Turkish authorities launched a parallel inquiry. Initially, seven individuals were detained on allegations including organizing a criminal network, drug trafficking, and laundering criminal proceeds.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for three suspects believed to be abroad, with steps underway to request Interpol Red Notices. Four crew members remain in custody in Spain, while five more suspects are held in Turkey as the investigation continues.

MENAFN22012026000045017640ID1110634634