Drug lord, known as ‘Turkish Escobar’, dies in prison

A notorious Turkish drug trafficker, known as the “Turkish Escobar,” has died in prison. Urfi Cetinkaya, who was serving a 24-year sentence for drug manufacturing and trafficking, passed away while incarcerated.

Cetinkaya was captured in Istanbul’s Sariyer district in April 2023 after being issued an international red notice. His death has left many questions unanswered about his criminal empire and the extent of his illicit activities.

Cetinkaya, who had a long history of drug-related offenses dating back to 1989, had been in and out of prison multiple times throughout his life. His most recent arrest occurred in April 2023 when he was apprehended during a joint operation by Turkish counterterrorism and special operations units.

Cetinkaya was captured in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district along with five other members of his criminal organization, following a raid prompted by an international red notice issued for drug and narcotics trafficking.

Following their arrest, Cetinkaya and his associates were transported to Bayrampasa State Hospital for medical evaluations. After undergoing necessary checks, they were transferred to the Istanbul Police Department under heightened security measures.

Cetinkaya passed away Friday morning at the Izmir Menemen Type-R prison, where he had been serving his 24-year sentence.

Who was ‘Turkish Escobar’ Cetinkaya?

Cetinkaya, dubbed the ‘Turkish Escobar,” was the leader of an organized crime group that was targeted in the “Kafes-44” operation on Feb. 20. This large-scale operation was carried out across several provinces, including Istanbul, Izmir, Afyonkarahisar, Malatya, Antalya, Canakkale, Bilecik, Mugla, and Balikesir, resulting in the arrest of 43 suspects.

It was revealed that Cetinkaya’s gang was responsible for the smuggling of a total of 37 tons of drugs – 13 tons seized in countries such as Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, Mauritania, Portugal, and Greece and 24 tons seized in Türkiye. The group was found to be using their own ships, commercial containers and fishing boats for international drug shipments.

As part of the investigation, assets belonging to the criminal organization were seized, including 147 parcels of land, 56 houses, eight apartment buildings, 74 businesses, 53 luxury vehicles, boats, shares in 53 companies, 64 bank accounts, seven safe deposit boxes, as well as large amounts of jewelry, cash, and cold storage wallets, with a total estimated value of ₺20 billion ($586.27 million).

Cetinkaya, who had a confirmed sentence of 24 years in prison for “manufacturing and trafficking drugs in an organized manner” and was wanted under a red notice, was arrested in Istanbul on April 12, 2023.