Prescription for Disaster: 17 Busted in Narcotics Supply Ring

Crackdown on Illicit Prescription Drug Trade in Turkey

Operation Targets Healthcare Workers and Substance Abusers

A recent operation by Turkish gendarmerie teams in the eastern Elazığ province has led to the arrest of 17 suspects, including healthcare workers, for their alleged involvement in illegally prescribing and selling prescription drugs to substance abusers.

The investigation, launched on May 28, was prompted by reports of prescription drugs being diverted to the black market. Initially, six suspects were taken into custody and charged with “production and trafficking in narcotic substances or stimulants.”

In Turkey, “green prescriptions” are used to regulate the distribution of medicines with a high potential for dependence and abuse, such as alprazolam and diazepam, as outlined in the Convention on Psychotropic Substances.

Further investigation has identified 34 additional suspects, including a doctor, a pharmacist, and three pharmaceutical workers. A series of raids were conducted at 40 different addresses, resulting in the detention of 32 suspects, including one in Istanbul and one in Tokat province.

Efforts are ongoing to apprehend the remaining two suspects.

This incident is the latest in a series of healthcare scandals to affect Turkey in recent months. A separate investigation in Istanbul has led to charges against 47 individuals, including doctors and nurses, for their alleged role in improperly treating babies for financial gain, resulting in the deaths of at least 12 newborns.