Mersin Chief Prosecutor's Office Seizes Drugs from Brazilian Ship's Hull; 9 Suspects Arrested

As part of an investigation led by Mersin Public Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Narcotics Crimes Combat Branch and Intelligence Branch seized drugs believed to have been hidden in the external lower hull of the dry cargo vessel CSPC Pisces, which departed from Brazil. It was determined that the suspects planned to have divers extract the drugs from the ship and subsequently transport them to western provinces.

During the surveillance phase, the identities and activities of 9 suspects — placed under technical and physical monitoring under Articles 135 and 140 of the Code of Criminal Procedure — were established. At the conclusion of the operation, all 9 suspects were detained and formally arrested.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya had previously stated "Now it's the barons' turn" ahead of the operation; Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç announced the operation as part of the government's broader security policy. The operation was the product of coordinated intelligence work spanning several months.

Mersin Port had previously been targeted in drug shipments originating from South America; in a 2023 operation conducted through the same port, drugs were similarly extracted from the underwater sections of vessels. This operation marks the second major case of the diver-stash method recorded in Turkey.