Interior Minister Mustafa Çiftçi said Tuesday that authorities carried out 1,741 operations targeting 625 organized crime groups this year, resulting in the arrest of more than 8,000 suspects.
In a post on his social media account, Çiftçi said they had held a security meeting to review efforts to combat smuggling, organized crime and financial offenses.
Emphasizing that the fight against new-generation organized crime gangs had been among their priorities since the first day they took office, Çiftçi said, “This year, we carried out 1,741 operations targeting 625 organized crime groups and ensured the arrest of more than 8,000 suspects.”
He also noted that the number of extraditions from abroad had reached levels five to six times higher than the average over the past five years. Çiftçi said authorities would intensify their efforts in the coming period to further narrow the operating space of criminal networks.
Reaffirming his determination to combat organized crime, Çiftçi said, “Those criminals who dare to extort money from citizens through threats should know this well: No one in this country can place themselves above the law, and no criminal organization can challenge the state. We will find those who flee and those who hide and bring them to justice.”
Çiftçi stressed that, under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the government would continue its fight against criminal organizations with a security approach that leaves them no room to operate and prioritizes public safety.