Two foreign nationals who were wanted on INTERPOL Red Notices have been captured in İstanbul, the Diken news website reported on Friday, citing Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya.
Yerlikaya, who has announced the capture of several wanted individuals in Turkey since taking office in early June, on Friday said on X, formerly Twitter, that two others sought on INTERPOL Red Notices were apprehended in two districts of the city as part of “Operation Cage-19.”
According to the minister, British national Mohammed Zakir Miah, the head of an organization coordinating drug trafficking in Belgium, was captured in Büyükçekmece, while Chinese national Chen Xuefeng, who was wanted for assault in Vietnam, was caught in Bağcılar.
Yerlikaya added that Chen’s extradition proceedings to Vietnam have been completed.
🟥 İnterpol Kırmızı Bülten’le aranan ve Belçika’da ülke genelinde uyuşturucu dağıtımı organize eden örgüt elebaşı İngiliz uyruklu MOHAMMED ZAKİR MIAH İstanbul Büyükçekmece’de,
🟥 İnterpol Kırmızı Bülten’le Vietnam’da ağır yaralama suçuyla aranan Çin uyruklu CHEN XUEFENG İstanbul… pic.twitter.com/uVdv2kiFdn— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) December 15, 2023
Meanwhile, journalist İsmail Saymaz on Friday said in his column in the Sözcü daily that foreign national Masood Zikria worked as a contractor through a company he established in Beşiktaş during the two years before his capture on December 3 and extradition to Australia.
Zikria, of Afghan origin, serves as the second-in-command of the “Alameddine” criminal organization and was among the most wanted people in Australia.
According to Saymaz, Zikria, who was detained immediately upon disembarking at Darwin Airport on December 4, was the subject of an arrest warrant on charges of “attempted murder, membership in a criminal organization and drug trafficking.”
The columnist said Zikria applied for temporary residence in Esenyurt on October 19, 2022 and was granted a residence permit valid until November 1, 2023.
Zikria was brought before the Downing Centre Local Court in Australia on charges of membership in a criminal organization, drug-related offenses and money laundering. He was arrested and subsequently jailed.
During the time in office of Yerlikaya’s predecessor, Süleyman Soylu, Turkey faced allegations of involvement in international drug trafficking, primarily driven by Turkish mob boss Sedat Peker. In a series of dramatic videos in 2021, Peker accused Soylu and other high-ranking officials of protecting and facilitating cocaine trafficking networks.
Soylu’s departure from the ministry had brought his alleged involvement in international drug trafficking and ties to mafia groups into the spotlight, leading to significant changes in the Turkish police force and crackdowns on international drug rings.
