The police revealed that they suspect that the defendants, Batuhan Ulugünal and Müjde Taşer, had also smuggled 25 kilograms of drugs into the country last year.
The operation at Kyrenia Tourism Harbour resulted in Ulugünal and his mother Taşer being brought to Kyrenia District Court.
Police officer Adnan Kardeşler testified that the suspects were caught during a search while attempting to enter the country. The operation, conducted jointly by the Nicosia and Kyrenia Police Departments and the Narcotics and Smuggling Prevention Directorate, uncovered 3 pistols, 3 empty magazines, 30 live bullets, and approximately 1 kilogram of drugs hidden in Ulugünal’s electric wheelchair.
The police stated that both suspects were caught red-handed. A search of their residence in Şht. Mehmet Kurt Street in Kyrenia by a Narcotics Branch team found nothing illegal. In their initial statements, the suspects claimed they received the pistols and drugs from Taşucu in Mersin, Turkey under someone’s orders and admitted to smuggling drugs seven more times on different dates.
The police also indicated that they had information suggesting the suspects had smuggled 25 kilograms of drugs into the country in 2023. The investigation is ongoing, with camera footage to be reviewed and additional statements to be taken. The police mentioned that they are also searching for a person who directed the suspects and requested that Ulugünal and Taşer be detained for an additional three days.
Judge Murat Soytaç, evaluating the testimony, decided that the suspects should remain in police custody for three more days to ensure the integrity of the investigation.
