Istanbul Police Department’s Anti-Narcotic Crimes Branch has carried out a massive operation against drug trafficking networks in the cyber world. In the work carried out with the support of the Presidency of Combating Narcotic Crimes, illegal networks operating on the popular messaging application Telegram were exposed. Police forces scanned millions of messages through a special analysis software called “AVCI”, identified dozens of groups involved in drug trafficking, carried out simultaneous raids and brought many suspects to justice.

Highlights of the Operation

• Millions of Messages Examined:Illegal networks were revealed by examining more than 5 million 850 thousand messages on Telegram one by one through the “AVCI” analysis application.

• 110 Suspects Caught:110 of the 135 suspects identified within the scope of the operation were detained in simultaneous raids; It was determined that 31 of the suspects were currently in prison for other crimes.

• Telegram Groups Closed:By the instructions of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, 65 Telegram groups and channels used for drug trafficking were completely closed as a result of coordinated work with the platform administration.

Artificial Intelligence Supported “AVCI” Application Launched

The use of digital platforms for illegal activities by malicious individuals leads cyber police and narcotics teams to produce new technological solutions. Istanbul Narcotics teams actively use the local and national analysis program “AVCI” software developed in this direction.

Thanks to the in-depth analysis made through the AVCI system during virtual patrols, 5,850,330 notifications sent on Telegram to date have been filtered. This massive information scan plays a key role in tracking down people who manufacture and trade drugs or stimulants. Security forces identify criminals one by one by following their digital footprints, thinking they are hiding behind encrypted messages and secret clusters.

Hunt for Managers and Moderators in 65 Channels

As a result of technical monitoring and digital investigations, 65 new clusters and channels where drug trafficking was organized were identified. A total of 135 suspects were identified, including 113 individuals who were thought to be actively posting on these channels and 22 individuals who served as administrators and moderators in the groups.

The entire hierarchical structure of the suspects, who tried to create a professional illegal market area with moderators to facilitate drug trade and reach buyers, was solved by cyber teams. The identity information and positions of these people were determined one by one and the button for the operation was pressed.

Simultaneous Raids Were Held at Dawn

After all the necessary evidence was collected, a simultaneous dawn operation was carried out at predetermined addresses across Istanbul at around 05:00 on the morning of July 17, 2026. During the raids involving narcotic teams, 110 suspects were caught and detained. It was understood that 31 of the identified suspects were actually detained in prison for different crimes.

During the detailed searches carried out at the addresses with the participation of trained detector dogs, various amounts of drugs and digital equipment and evidence thought to have been obtained from the trade of these substances were captured. The detained suspects were taken to the Istanbul Police Department for questioning.

Cooperation with Telegram: Channels Completely Closed

Police forces not only identified clusters where illegal activities were carried out, but also quickly took legal and bureaucratic steps to root out these networks. In line with the instructions received from the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, it was decided to block access and completely close 65 clusters and channels that had become hotbeds of crime.

As a result of direct contact with the Telegram company through official channels, all these illegal channels were closed simultaneously with the operation. Thus, the digital communication network of the error network was completely destroyed. Police officials emphasize that they will continue their digital pursuits and operations against cyber criminal organizations that try to poison young people.