Turkish authorities detain 106 suspects, including six children already subject to judicial proceedings, in simultaneous operations targeting four criminal organizations across 11 provinces, the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday.
The “Streets Are Safe” operations are conducted under an investigation by the Organized Crime Investigation Bureau of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, targeting what authorities describe as new-generation criminal organizations and criminal ecosystems.
The operations are carried out simultaneously on Sept. 14 in Istanbul and 10 other provinces across Türkiye, such as Ankara, Izmir, Kocaeli, Mersin, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Sakarya, Adana, Bolu and Tekirdağ.
Authorities detained 74 suspects linked to the Volkan Reçber criminal organization, 18 linked to the Daltons, 12 linked to the Şapkalılar and two linked to the Gündoğmuşlar, according to the prosecutor’s office.
Searches of the suspects’ residences uncovered one automatic pistol, three unlicensed pistols, a hunting rifle, two blank-firing pistols and 207 rounds of ammunition.
Authorities also seized approximately 10 grams (0.35 ounces) of narcotics and 100 grams (...