Turkish police detained 272 suspected street-level drug dealers in a major operation, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Thursday.

The raids followed four months of surveillance and intelligence gathering in several Istanbul districts. Targets were individuals selling drugs in local neighborhoods, according to Xinhua.

Yerlikaya shared the update on X, stressing continued efforts against drug crimes.

Turkey, a key transit point between Asia and Europe, regularly conducts anti-drug operations to combat trafficking and abuse, Xinhua reported.