Police arrest British crime boss in Istanbul

ISTANBUL

Turkish police have apprehended the leader of a notorious British gang involved in drug smuggling, illegal gun trade and armed robbery in an operation in Istanbul.

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the capture of Shaun Monaghan, the alleged mastermind behind a criminal network operating in northeast England.

Monaghan arrived in Türkiye in October and the Interpol notice was issued on Dec. 5, Yerlikaya said. Turkish authorities located Monaghan in Istanbul's Fatih district, where he was captured the day after.

A video released by the ministry depicted the moment narcotics police arrested Monaghan in a hotel room. According to Yerlikaya, the gang led by Monaghan was notorious for its involvement in the distribution of cocaine and heroin, as well as committing armed robberies.

The operation is the latest in a series of busts and arrests over recent weeks targeting international organized crime rings.

Yerlikaya announced last month the capture of Hakan Ayık, a high-profile fugitive wanted in Australia for drug smuggling. Alongside him, 36 others involved in an expansive international crime syndicate, pursued by U.S. and New Zealand authorities, were also apprehended.

In another recent operation against organized crime, Shamil Amirov, a senior figure in the Russian crime group known as "Thieves in Law," was captured over the weekend, the minister revealed.