Turkish police officer previously awarded for nabbing drug dealers arrested for drug dealing

A Turkish police officer who was previously awarded for his fight against drug dealers was caught with 25 kilograms of heroin.

Cumhur Acarca (C) is seen receiving an award from then-Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtaş (L) and then-Adana police chief Zafer Aktaş in this file photo.

Duvar English 

A Turkish police officer who previously received an award for catching drug dealers in the southern province of Adana was apprehended with 25 kilograms of heroin, Demirören News Agency reported on Oct. 31. 

The officer, Cumhur Acarca, was awarded by then-Adana Governor Mahmut Demirtaş for his success in nabbing drug dealers in an operation on March 20, 2019. 

Some two and a half years later, however, Acarca was on the apprehended side. 

Anti-drug police teams in the Central Anatolian province of Konya carried out an operation against drug dealers on Oct. 29 and stopped the car belonging to Acarca on a road. Acarca fled the scene after hitting a police officer with his car, before hitting a civilian vehicle when trying to escape. 

Police were then able to stop Acarca and tried to detain him. Two police officers were wounded in the brawl that erupted.

In the searches, police found 24.6 kilograms of heroin packed in 48 bags in Acarca's car. He was detained and subsequently arrested for dealing drugs. 

The police officers wounded throughout the chase were taken to hospitals and their conditions were said to be not critical.