Over a hundred crime gangs dismantled in Istanbul this year

ISTANBUL

Istanbul Governor Davut Gül said on Aug. 9 authorities have dismantled 119 criminal gangs in the city this year, following 747 operations that resulted in the apprehension of over 3,500 individuals.

Nearly 1,700 of those were arrested, and around 700 were released on probation.

The operations led to the seizure of assets valued at 33.41 billion Turkish Liras ($996,000). These figures do not include operations conducted this month.

In July alone, 15 criminal gangs were dismantled across 23 operations, with assets worth 10 million liras seized. The first seven months of the year saw a decrease in crimes against individuals and property, with reductions of 10 percent and 24 percent, respectively.

Notably, 98 percent of crimes against individuals and 79 percent of property crimes were solved. Purse-snatching incidents dropped by 55 percent, pickpocketing by 45 percent, auto theft by 43 percent and home burglary by 36 percent.

Additionally, authorities seized more than 11,500 guns during this period, including around 1,500 in July alone.