Türkiye carried out largest crackdown on global drug network

Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced on Tuesday that 234 senior members of transnational crime networks were detained in an operation covering five countries. The operation is being hailed as one of the most significant anti-organized crime crackdowns in recent years.

“This morning, we have conducted a major operation targeting high-level members of organized crime groups involved in national and international drug trafficking, as well as money laundering,” said Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.

Of the suspects detained, 225 were arrested in Türkiye, while 9 were apprehended abroad. Ten of the individuals were wanted under the Interpol Red Notices.

He added that the operation, codenamed ORKİNOS-BULUT, was carried out simultaneously with police departments in the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Belgium, under the coordination of Turkey’s General Directorate of Security.

In addition, as part of the operation, information and documents were shared with law enforcement authorities in France, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Greece, Serbia, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Brazil, and Iran.

Apart from drug trafficking and money laundering, authorities identified a range of serious offenses committed by these criminal organizations, including deliberate murder, firearm assaults, kidnapping, unlawful deprivation of liberty and torture, intimidation through shootings targeting businesses and vehicles, and blackmail.

According to Minister Yerlikaya, the criminal syndicates were involved in large-scale drug smuggling operations, trafficking into Türkiye and across broader Europe:

- Cocaine from South America,

- Heroin from Iran and Afghanistan,

- Skunk cannabis via the Balkans, and

“We have seized the assets of these international crime organizations, identified so far by Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK),” Yerlikaya said.

“This include 681 real estate properties, 127 vehicles, partnership shares in 113 companies, and multiple bank accounts belonging to the suspects—altogether valued at approximately 13 billion Turkish Liras.”

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