Red notice fugitive wanted by Italy captured in Istanbul over human trafficking

Assad Ali Gomaa Khodir, the alleged leader of an organized crime group wanted by Italy on a Red Notice for charges of human trafficking and migrant smuggling, has been arrested in Istanbul, Türkiye.

According to Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya’s statement on X, Khodir was located and apprehended in a police operation conducted in the Fatih district of Istanbul.

Coordinated effort between Turkish intelligence and law enforcement

The arrest was the result of joint operations coordinated by the Turkish National Police’s Interpol Europol Department, the Intelligence Directorate, and the Directorate for Combating Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates.

The Istanbul Provincial Police Department’s Anti-Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates Branch carried out the operation based on intelligence pinpointing Khodir’s location.

Yerlikaya shared the announcement on his social media account, stating, “Assad Ali Gomaa Khodir, the leader of an organized crime group facilitating irregular migrant transit to Italy and wanted by Italian judicial authorities on a Red Notice for ‘human trafficking and migrant smuggling,’ was captured in Istanbul’s Fatih district following a targeted operation.”

He praised the officers involved, referring to them as “heroic police.”

International operation ‘El Rais’ uncovers transnational smuggling network

The arrest of Khodir is part of a broader international investigation known as Operation ‘El Rais,’ coordinated by the District Anti-Mafia Directorate (DDA) of Catania, according to an Italian media outlet, Radiotelevision Italiana (Rai).

The operation was carried out with the support of Europol, Eurojust, Interpol’s Human Trafficking and Migrant Smuggling Unit, and law enforcement agencies in Albania, Germany, Oman, and Türkiye.

Fifteen suspects—all Egyptian nationals—were arrested across Cosenza, Catania, and Catanzaro, as well as in other countries, facing charges of criminal association for migrant smuggling.

According to Italian authorities, the criminal network operated routes between Egypt, Türkiye, and Greece, organizing illegal Mediterranean crossings toward Italy.

The DDA of Catania attributes 18 separate migrant smuggling incidents between 2021 and 2023 to this organization, involving the arrival of thousands of migrants on the coasts of Sicily and Calabria.

Italian prosecutors estimate that at least 3,000 people have been smuggled into Italy since 2021, generating profits of around €30 million ($34.07M) for the organization.

Istanbul key hub in network’s operations

Khodir, also known as Abu Sufyen, was reportedly residing in Istanbul to avoid an arrest warrant issued by Egyptian authorities for the same crimes for which he had already received a 10-year sentence.

Investigations revealed that the organization recruited professional skippers in Egypt and coordinated the logistics of transporting migrants—mainly from Syria, Afghanistan, and Palestine—from the coastal Turkish cities of Bodrum, Izmir, and Marmaris.