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Wesley Sneijder, a former Dutch footballer who played for Galatasaray, has been linked to the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, an outlaw biker gang involved in international crime, according to the pro-government Sabah newspaper, citing a report by Turkey’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK).
The İstanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office is investigating Comanchero for crimes including international drug trafficking and money laundering. The probe revealed that Sneijder was allegedly a secret partner in the gang’s money laundering activities.
In November of last year 55 suspects were detained, and assets worth approximately 4.5 billion lira were seized. Among these suspects were the gang’s leaders, Hakan Reis, also known as Hakan Ayık, and Duax Ngakuru. Eighteen of the suspects were arrested, and 22 were released under judicial supervision.
MASAK’s report indicates that the gang laundered millions of dollars from drug trafficking through companies in Turkey. One of the companies involved was Borhan Group Yatırım A.Ş., founded by Yunus Emre Borhan, who was detained during last year’s operations. MASAK investigators found that Borhan’s companies received substantial funds from various sources, including $1,181,428 from Sneijder.
Despite public information suggesting that Sneijder was a partner in Econ Gayrimenkul Yatırım, a subsidiary of Borhan Group, his name did not appear in official trade registry records. This discrepancy led MASAK to conclude that Sneijder was a secret partner in the company.
Borhan confirmed in his testimony that he had a childhood friendship with Hakan Arif Tavukçu, who introduced him to Sneijder. Borhan said Tavukçu later sold his shares in Econ to Sneijder for $1,181,428, corroborating the financial transactions uncovered by MASAK.
Sneijder, who played for Galatasaray from 2013 to 2017, allegedly facilitated the introduction of Borhan to another suspect, Çetin Gören, who was sought under an INTERPOL Red Notice. Borhan admitted to borrowing 100,000 lira from Gören, which he later repaid, but denied knowledge of Gören’s involvement in drug trafficking.
The Comanchero Motorcycle Club, founded in Australia, has a long history of violence and criminal activities, including drug trafficking and violent clashes with rival gangs like the Hells Angels. The gang has expanded its operations to Southeast Asia and Europe, including Turkey.