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.”
At least 11 people were killed in Israeli strikes on southern Lebanon on Saturday, among the deadliest since a June ceasefire. Meanwhile, Qatar den...
As the countries of the Turkic world seek deeper economic integration, the Turkic Investment Fund (TIF) is posi...
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Ministe...
Hundreds of flights have been cancelled or rerouted at Catania Airport over the past week as ash from Mount Etna’s ongoing eruption continues to disrupt air travel in Sicily.
Wildfires across England and Wales have reached their highest level on record, according to the National Fire Chiefs Council, as firefighters struggle to contain outbreaks following a spell of extreme heat.
The U.S. will impose unprecedented measures on Iran in order to economically isolate the country, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's threats to make the Strait of Hormuz part of U.S. territory have been mocked by Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister, Kazem Gharibabadi, who said the sea passage "cannot be seized by tweet."
At least 47 people have been killed after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off eastern Indonesia early on Saturday, triggering small tsunami waves and dozens of aftershocks, officials say.
As the countries of the Turkic world seek deeper economic integration, the Turkic Investment Fund (TIF) is positioning itself as a key financial vehicle for turning political cooperation into tangible development projects.
For fishermen along Pakistan’s southwestern coast, the consequences of the U.S.-Iran conflict are being felt far from the battlefield.
Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry has expressed regret over the death of a 21-year-old pregnant woman killed by gunfire across the border in Tajikistan’s Darvoz district. Dushanbe has issued a formal protest to Kabul over the incident, which it said involved a violation of its airspace.
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan all reported blackouts on Friday, which Kazakhstan’s Energy Ministry said had been caused by a "sudden change in the power flow" from the Central Asian grid.
The United Nations has urged sustained international engagement with Afghanistan five years into Taliban rule, warning that restrictions on women and terrorism concerns risk undermining gains from improved security.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment