Türkiye leads major operation against international crime syndicates: 234 arrested in 5 countries
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya giving a press statement on April 15, 2025 regarding the "Orkinos-Bulut" operation, which was simultaneously conducted against international criminal organizations. (AA Photo)
Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Tuesday that authorities have detained 234 high-level members of transnational crime networks in a large-scale operation spanning five countries, marking one of the largest anti-organized crime crackdowns in recent years.
“This morning, a total of 234 high-level members of an organised crime group were detained, nine of whom were abroad and 225 were at home,” he told during a press conference.
Of the suspects detained, 225 were arrested in Türkiye, while 9 were apprehended abroad, during coordinated raids in Türkiye, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Belgium, Yerlikaya said during a press briefing.
“We are facing a huge criminal structure on an international scale,” he said.
Drugs, money laundering, and global trafficking routes targeted
The investigation targeted four major international crime organizations involved in narcotics trafficking and money laundering.
According to Yerlikaya, the syndicates smuggled:
- Cocaine from South America,
- Heroin from Iran and Afghanistan,
- Skunk cannabis via the Balkans, and
- Ecstasy through various European routes
into Türkiye and broader Europe.
He described the network as “a huge criminal structure on an international scale,” responsible for crimes including drug trafficking, money laundering, murder, armed assault, kidnapping, and extortion.
Europol partnership and intelligence sharing
The operation, codenamed Orkinos-Bulut, was conducted with Europol support and followed eight months of surveillance and planning.
Intelligence and documentation were also shared with countries such as France and the United Kingdom ahead of the raids.
Yerlikaya emphasized the critical role of international cooperation, noting that Turkish officers worked directly with European analysts at Europol’s headquarters to track suspects and map out criminal networks.
Massive drug and asset seizures
Authorities seized:
- 21.2 metric tons of narcotics,
- 681 real estate assets,
- 127 vehicles,
- Shares in 113 companies, and
- Bank accounts totaling approximately ₺13 billion ($341.5 million),
with financial tracking support from Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK).
