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A new wave of detentions swept through an ongoing drug investigation in Istanbul on Thursday, with Turkish prosecutors ordering the detention of 25 people from the entertainment and social scene, including singer Mabel Matiz and actor Serenay Sarikaya.
The investigation is being led by prosecutors as part of a broader crackdown on narcotics trafficking, manufacturing and drug use in Istanbul, according to the statement.
Authorities issued detention, search, biological examination and testimony orders for the suspects.
Officials noted that recent operations had already intercepted large quantities of cocaine allegedly being smuggled into Türkiye by sea before reaching shore.
Prosecutors also pointed to raids targeting drug production sites and dealers across several Istanbul districts, where narcotics and other materials linked to criminal activity were seized.
The latest probe also targets individuals accused of facilitating drug use, providing locations for consumption and using narcotics themselves, the prosecutor’s office said.
Among those named in the investigation are singer Berkay Sahin, singer Tan Tasci, television personality Yagmur Unal, journalist Mirgun Cabas and rapper Blok3, identified in the document as Hakan Aydin.
The list also features actor Onur Tuna, actress Feyza Civelek and singer Niran Unsal, along with several other figures from the arts and social scene.
According to reports, the Istanbul Gendarmerie carried out operations against 25 suspects and detained 14, while Sarikaya was among those who could not be located at their addresses because she is currently abroad.
The latest operation follows a series of high-profile narcotics investigations that have increasingly drawn in celebrities, influencers and media figures across Istanbul in recent months.
In April, prosecutors ordered the detention of 14 suspects, including rapper Norm Ender, singer Mert Demir, actor Burak Deniz and chef Somer Sivrioglu, as part of an expanding case centered on alleged drug use, possession and facilitation.
Separate raids earlier this year also swept up several entertainment and business figures, including singers Simge Sagin, Melek Mosso and Mustafa Ceceli, along with actor Hande Ercel and businessman Hakan Sabanci.
The crackdown later reached prominent names in the media and business world.
In December, authorities carried out raids and forensic drug tests involving Haberturk TV Editor-in-Chief Mehmet Akif Ersoy and Fenerbahce President Sadettin Saran as part of the same broader investigation into alleged drug offenses.
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