A Turkish national previously acquitted in a major domestic drug trafficking case has been arrested again as part of an investigation linked to Spain’s largest-ever cocaine seizure at sea.
Turkish prosecutors detained 12 suspects in raids across İstanbul, Mersin, Tekirdağ, Kocaeli, Sakarya and Hatay after Spanish authorities intercepted a cargo vessel carrying nearly 10 tons of cocaine off the Canary Islands.
Ten of the suspects were ordered jailed pending trial, while two were released under judicial supervision, prosecutors said.
Among those jailed is Çetin Gören. His name previously surfaced in Turkey’s “Swamp” operation, launched in June 2020. Then-interior minister Süleyman Soylu at the time described the raids as the country’s largest anti-narcotics operation.
Gören and dozens of other defendants were detained during the 2020 operation on charges including international drug trafficking and money laundering. In May 2024 a court acquitted 73 defendants, including Gören, citing insufficient evidence.
Spain seizure and international operation
Spanish police said they seized 9,994 kilograms of cocaine hidden in 294 packages buried in a shipment of salt aboard the Cameroonian-flagged merchant vessel United S, which had departed from Brazil and was intercepted in international waters off the Canary Islands.
Spanish authorities detained 13 crew members, including four Turkish citizens, who remain in custody in Spain, according to Turkish prosecutors and media reports.
The operation, known as White Tide (Marea Blanca), involved cooperation between Spanish authorities and law enforcement agencies including the US Drug Enforcement Administration, Brazil’s federal police, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and French and Portuguese authorities.
Turkey opens investigation
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office launched an investigation after the seizure, ordering asset freezes on suspects’ company shares, bank accounts and cryptocurrency holdings, Turkish prosecutors said.
Authorities also said three additional suspects remain at large and that steps are underway to seek INTERPOL Red Notices.
The suspects face accusations including establishing a criminal organization, international drug trafficking and laundering criminal proceeds, prosecutors said.
Ship ownership disputed
Turkish media previously reported that the ship, identified as the United S, was owned by Kamer Shipping & Trading Co., a company based in Turkey. A separate Turkish firm, Kamer Marine Denizcilik, later issued a statement denying any ownership or operational ties to the vessel, saying confusion had arisen due to the similarity in company names.
Spanish authorities have not publicly accused any Turkey-based company of wrongdoing. Turkish prosecutors have not clarified whether the ship’s operator was based in Turkey.
Gören has denied any involvement, Turkish media reported, saying he has no connection to the vessel or the cocaine seized aboard.