A crime leader who is wanted on an INTERPOL Red Notice by the authorities in Germany on drug trafficking charges has been captured in an operation in İstanbul, Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced.
Yerlikaya announced on X on Tuesday the capture of Sammy Ali in İstanbul’s Üsküdar district as part of the “Kartel-4” operation.
🟥 Almanya tarafından çıkartılan İnterpol Kırmızı Bülteniyle “Uyuşturucu Madde Ticareti” suçundan uluslararası seviyede aranan Uyuşturucu Madde Kartelinin elebaşlarından SAMMY ALI İstanbul’da yapılan “KARTEL-4” operasyonuyla yakalandı❗️
Milletimizin Bilmesini İsterim ki;
Hangi… pic.twitter.com/sWU4v5Urji— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) January 16, 2024
Sammy Ali is the latest of a number of criminals sought internationally who have been captured in Turkey since Yerlikaya became interior minister in June.
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.
Soylu was appointed interior minister shortly after a coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016. He was the architect of a massive purge and arrest of thousands of non-loyalist citizens on bogus terrorism or coup charges.
He was elected to parliament in the May general election as a ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) lawmaker and enjoys parliamentary immunity.