Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced the successful culmination of Operation Cage-18, a coordinated anti-crime initiative conducted across 37 provinces that resulted in the dismantling of 39 national and international organized crime syndicates, with 257 suspects apprehended.
Taking to his social media, Yerlikaya reaffirmed the government's unwavering commitment to ensuring public peace by dismantling criminal networks regardless of their scale or influence.
"Operation Cage-18, executed simultaneously in 37 provinces, led to the dismantling of 39 organized crime structures, including nine national and local crime groups and 30 criminal factions aiding these organizations by providing weapons and other resources," stated Minister Yerlikaya. "The operation culminated in the capture of 257 individuals, including the masterminds behind these criminal enterprises."
Under the leadership of the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Directorate of the General Directorate of Security, Operation Cage-18 targeted key figures of several criminal factions across multiple cities, including the Nedim Baybaşin syndicate in Istanbul, Hakan Karakuş in Adana, Süleyman Sarıkaya in Diyarbakır and Çanakkale, Murat Temuçin in Eskişehir, Kubilay Çavuş in Eskişehir, Adil Eryiğitler in Mersin, Erkan Albay in Muğla, İnanç Meçhul in İzmir and Murat Kumak in Niğde.
The operations unveiled a range of criminal activities orchestrated by these syndicates, including extortion through workplace violence for financial gain, weapon smuggling, drug trafficking and internal disputes leading to armed confrontations over illegal proceeds.
Moreover, the criminal groups were found to engage in usury, utilizing various businesses as a front to extort money from individuals unable to repay debts, resorting to threats backed by firearms.
"Further investigations revealed their control over security operations at entertainment venues, employing private security companies to carry out illegal activities such as extortion, violent confrontations and illicit financial schemes under the guise of charitable associations," added Minister Yerlikaya.
