Some 420 gangs busted in 2023, says minister
ANKARA
Security forces cracked down a total of 420 organized crime groups in 2023, with 11 operating at an international scale, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced.
In the latest leg of a series of his announcements regarding the statistics encompassing last year's efforts against terrorism and illegal migration, Yerlikaya on Feb. 1 revealed that 150 of the dismantled groups were involved in narcotics and cybercrimes.
Last year witnessed a large number of apprehensions of leaders and high-ranking members of internationally sought criminal organizations across the country, notably in Istanbul.
"While combating outlaws beyond our borders, turning a blind eye to those within our cities is never an option," stated Yerlikaya, pledging an unwavering commitment to the ongoing battle against criminal organizations throughout 2024.
Police nab members of 30-year-old crime group
His statement came after the capture of several members of a gang known as "Sönmezler," a group with a three-decade history entangled in various criminal activities and scandals.
According to the 2021 police report, the "Sönmezler" gang had 93 armed members and ranked among the top 10 mafia groups in the country.
In 2022, their involvement in the murder of casino leader Halil Falyalı in Turkish Cyprus, leading to the arrest of one of their leaders, brought them into the spotlight once again.
Last weekend, the same gang members orchestrated a shooting incident during an event at Istanbul Airport, injuring a businessman. The police apprehended nine suspects, including the gang’s leader and the gunman.
The interior minister announced the operation, saying that the police will continue to bring gangs to justice “regardless of their size and scale.”
Known as the "uniformed gang" in the public due to the inclusion of former police and military officers among its members, the "Sönmezler" gang has been embroiled in scandals since the first reported incident in 1994. The gang's name had also appeared in a 1997 parliamentary report examining connections between the mafia, police and politicians.
