Türkiye’s Mahzen-35 ops dismantle 6 organized crime syndicates
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announces the successful crackdown on six organized crime groups across six provinces in Türkiye, with 46 suspects arrested
Turkish forces dismantled six organized crime syndicated in Mahzen-35 operations and apprehended 46 suspects, including ring leaders, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said.
“We will not tolerate those who boast about their crimes, disrupt the peace of our people, and engage in organized crime and gangs. We will dismantle and deliver to justice organized crime syndicates of any size,” Yerlikaya said.
Suspects found to be involved in various crimes
According to the information provided in Yerlikaya’s post, the operations were carried out by the Provincial Police Departments of Antalya, Balıkesir, Gaziantep, Konya, Mersin, and Usak under the coordination of the Directorate General of Security’s Department of Smuggling and Organized Crime.
Members of organized crime syndicates have been found to be behind a series of armed attacks. Their targets were individuals unable to repay loans incurred from gambling debts. These criminals resorted to force, taking over businesses and vehicles from borrowers burdened with high interest rates. The seized properties were then transferred to other members of the organization.
It was also found that the suspects intervened in debt-related disputes between individuals, established pseudo courts to gain unfair benefits, instigated fights in businesses they attempted to seize by force and threat, trapped individuals through female members of the organization in entertainment venues, extorted large sums of money from them by force of arms, and engaged in drug and arms trafficking to gain unjust profits.
During the operations, 30 unlicensed pistols, 2 shotguns, automatic weapons, various amounts of narcotics, and proceeds from crime were seized.
Source: Newsroom
