New details emerged in the Turkish media over the killing of a Serbian mob boss earlier this month. Media outlets reported members of a Turkish gang whose leader is held in Italy were paid about 1 million euros ($975,495) for the murder committed in Istanbul on Sept. 8.
Police announced on Wednesday that 12 suspects, including members of a rival clan of Skaljari, a criminal clan run by Jovan Vukotic, were detained in connection with the murder. Vukotic, who illegally entered Türkiye, was shot dead by gunmen on a motorcycle as he was traveling with his family in a car in Istanbul’s Şişli district.
Vukotic, wanted by Serbia, was captured in Türkiye three years ago and extradited to Serbia, where he was released after a trial. He apparently returned to Türkiye with a fake ID and passport.
After scanning 1,700 hours of security camera footage near the scene of the murder, police zeroed in on two suspects, identified as E.E. and Y.D., the perpetrators of the killing. Both men were members of the criminal gang run by Turkish national B.B., who was detained in August in Italy’s Rimini. B.B. is wanted for a string of crimes in Türkiye, including armed attacks and was earlier released in Georgia, where he was detained. Türkiye is awaiting his extradition from Italy.
Police also discovered a tracking device in Vukotic’s car. Further investigation revealed that three suspects linked to a gang run by Turkish national B.C., who remains in custody in Montenegro, where he was arrested in June, were tracking Vukotic for four months. Suspects are also accused of attempts to carry out attacks against Vukotic.
Suspects were then traced to Radoje Zivkovic and Zdravko Perunovic, leaders of Kavac, a criminal clan carrying out the illegal drug trade in the Balkans. Some 50 people have been killed in the two gangs' strife since 2014.
Police launched simultaneous raids in five provinces, including Istanbul, Izmir, Zonguldak, Antalya and Artvin, to capture 12 suspects, including Zivkovic and Perunovic, who were transferred to a court in Istanbul following their arrests. A hearing is not yet scheduled for the suspects.