Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Thursday that an organized crime syndicate led by Semed Ötünç has been dismantled in the 'Mahzen-36' operations conducted across eight provinces, with 42 suspects apprehended.

Yerlikaya stated in a social media post that operations were carried out in Bursa, Istanbul, Adana, Izmir, Manisa, Bilecik, Muğla and Kırıkkale, coordinated by the Bursa Yenişehir Public Prosecutor's Office and Bursa Provincial Gendarmerie Command.

Providing information about the capture of 42 suspects, including the ringleader Semed Ötünç, Yerlikaya said: "I want our nation to know that we will dismantle and deliver to justice organized crime syndicates of any scale. Our operations will continue with determination at dawn or dusk."

Yerlikaya also mentioned that during the operations, it was determined that the organized crime syndicate members committed crimes such as drug manufacturing and trafficking, sexual abuse, human trafficking, threats and extortion. They deceived victims with tricks, subjected them to violence to make them drug addicts, forced them into theft, drug trafficking, prostitution and extortion if they refused to commit crimes, and used coercion and violence against those who didn't want to engage in illegal activities.

Congratulating the Yenişehir Public Prosecutor's Office and the gendarmerie personnel involved in the operations, Yerlikaya noted that six unlicensed pistols, five hunting rifles, various amounts of drugs and numerous digital materials were seized as a result of the operations.