Drugs worth 10m TL seized in narcotics op

‘Operation Black Rose’ covered North Cyprus , Iran, Pakistan, and South Cyprus

The TRNC Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Department have seized three kilos of methamphetamine, three kilos of opium and 700 grams of heroin with a total market value of 10 million TL. The sting took place as part of ‘Operation Black Rose’ — a combined anti-drugs operation between North Cyprus, Pakistan, Iran, and South Cyprus.

The police tracked 49-yearold Zümrüt Deniz to her home, where approximately three kilos of methamphetamine, three kilogrammes of opium, 700 grammes of a substance thought to be heroin, and a precision scale believed to contain drug residues were found. 3,280 Euros in cash assumed to have been obtained from drug sales was also found and taken into evidence.

It was determined that Ms Deniz, who was arrested as part of the operation and gave a statement to the police, was directed by Murat Aykol, who is already in prison after being convicted on drug charges. Police also deduced that Mr Aykol was due to receive 5,000 Euros from the sale of the drugs.

The narcotics team also arrested 29-year-old suspect Cem Derviş Doğu, who they determined to be connected to the matter.

They took 780 Euros, which Mr Doğu had on his person, into evidence, as they believed the money to have been obtained from the sale of drugs.

Zümrüt Deniz and Cem Derviş Doğu, were arrested on charges of importing, exporting, buying, possessing, and selling illegal drugs (heroin, methamphetamine, and raw opium)’, and were brought to the Lefkoşa District Court on Tuesday morning.

During the hearing, which was presided over by Judge Mine Ozankaya, prosecutor Senem Palabıyık called Serkan Sakallı, a police officer working in the Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Department, as a witness.

Mr Sakallı testified that during the Narcotics team’s operation, a total of 6.7 kilogrammes of heroin, methamphetamine and raw opium with a total market value of 10 million TL were seized.

‘INTELLIGENCE’

According to Mr Sakallı, the police had gained intelligence on February 14 that Zümrüt Deniz, a resident of Ortaköy had a large amount of illegal drugs in her possession and that she was selling them.

He went on to say that on the same day at 4pm, Ms Deniz was identified in her car and detained by a police team. Mr Sakallı stated that nothing illegal was found during the search of Deniz’s vehicle and that an on-duty police team searched her residence with a warrant between 4.305.45 pm.

Mr Sakallı explained that police seized a substance believed to be about 100 grammes of heroin in a blue plastic bag, and approximately 100 grammes of heroin, which were found hidden behind a mirror hanging on the wall in a corridor in the residence.

He continued, saying that a camouflage-print bag was found in the living room, which contained what was believed to be about two kilos of methamphetamine wrapped in a plastic bag, 100 grammes of methamphetamine in a plastic bag, 100 grammes of methamphetamine wrapped in stretch film and about 500 grammes of what appeared to be heroin wrapped in a transparent plastic bag inside a sock.

Mr Sakallı said that a metal spoon believed to contain drug residues and a substance thought to be “raw opium weighing 3 kilogrammes” wrapped in stretch film were found in the same bag and taken into evidence.

During the investigations into Ms Deniz, Mr Sakallı conveyed to the court that with the direction of an Iranian she knew as Ali, who contacted her via Whatsapp in December 2021, she illegally imported substances believed to be methamphetamine and raw opium from the Greek Cypriot Administration.

It was learned that she then obtained them from a person she did not know in the Ortaköy area.

Also it was learned that with the direction of Ali, a total of 300 grammes of what was believed to be methamphetamine was left under a pillar in the Ortaköy area for unknown people on four different dates between December 2021 and February 14, 2022.

Mr Sakallı noted that after selling all of the methamphetamine and raw opium, it was learned that Ms Deniz would collect 5,000 Euros from the aforementioned “Ali”.

In the investigations carried out regarding the substances believed to be heroin in the possession of Ms Deniz, Mr Sakallı said that she met a person named Said, whom she met through a suspect who was in prison after being convicted for the crimes of importing, buying and selling heroin and who has been her boyfriend for three years. With the knowledge of the suspect Cem Derviş Doğu, he directed her to a garbage dump site in Kömürcüler where 750 grammes of heroin had been left, by sending the location via Whatsapp.

The investigations revealed that 50 grammes of heroin were given to Cem Derviş Doğu on January 30, 2022 for 1,100 Euros with the payment to be made later and three grammes of methamphetamine were also given to another suspect on the same day.

Mr Sakallı indicated that on February 12, 2022 Ms Deniz exported a gramme of heroin from the Metehan Border Gate to South Cyprus, under the instructions of Mr Aykol from prison, and gave it as a sample to a person known as Gossi.

He pointed out that it was learned that the two packages of heroin found behind the mirror in the corridor of Ms Deniz’s residence that were taken as evidence had been put aside at 35 Euros per gramme to give to the aforementioned Gossi.

Mr Sakallı stated that Mr Doğu was found and arrested at his home in Yayla, in the Güzelyurt district and that nothing illegal was found during the search of his residence.

After it was discovered that Mr Doğu sent a message to Ms Deniz that he would give her the “agreed upon” 800 Euros, 780 Euros found in the possession of Mr Doğu were taken into evidence.

The operation continued until dawn on Tuesday, and a very extensive investigation was being carried out with six people still being sought, Mr Sakallı asked that the suspects be remanded for three days. The request was granted by Judge Mine Ozankaya.