The Turkish drug enforcement agency recently eliminated 30,000 marijuana plants that were clandestinely cultivated in a sprawling terraced garden near the Tigris River, which is listed as a UN Cultural Heritage site, according to media reports on Sunday.
A coordinated operation took place at dawn, involving divers and boats, with aerial support from helicopters and drones. The operation targeted the Hebsel gardens in Diyarbakir, predominantly located in southeastern Turkey, as reported by Iha’s news agency and Cumhurriyet newspaper.
Details about the timing of the operation have not been disclosed.
The garden spans roughly 700 hectares (around 1,700 acres) between Diyarbakir Fortress and the Tigris River, and officials discovered that marijuana was being cultivated in 31 different spots within this area.
Estimates suggest that the plants could have yielded around 5.3 tons of cannabis, valued at approximately 500 million Turkish lira (around $51 million).
The Ministry of Home Affairs has yet to release any statements regarding the incident.
It appears that the growers exploited the challenging terrain, which made vehicle access to Hebsel’s garden difficult. They set up tents to conceal and safeguard the plants, utilizing an irrigation system to draw water from the Tigris.
It remains unclear if any arrests were made during the operation.
In 2015, these terraced gardens were designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, alongside Diyarbakir Fortress, due to their historical and cultural significance.
