Turkey launches nationwide crackdown on organized crime, arrests over 300 suspects

Turkish law‑enforcement agencies carried out a series of coordinated operations against organized crime in June 2026. In a sweeping sweep covering 24 provinces, the Interior Ministry, Gendarmerie’s KOM and Cyber Crime units, and public prosecutors detained 313 people, of whom 197 were remanded in custody. The raids uncovered a network involved in drug trafficking, illegal firearms, smuggling, gambling, human‑trafficking, fraud and other illicit activities, with financial flows estimated at more than 21 billion lira.

Separate actions targeted specific crimes: in Uşak police seized large quantities of synthetic drugs, methamphetamine, cocaine and weapons, arresting 16 suspects. In Denizli, a raid on a bar association uncovered a cannabis‑growing operation within lawyers’ offices, leading to the detention of the bar president and 11 attorneys. A fraud investigation coordinated by the Iğdır prosecutor’s office resulted in simultaneous raids in 12 provinces, seizing computers, SIM cards and unveiling 162 million lira of suspicious money transfers; ten suspects were sentenced to prison. In Hatay, authorities dismantled a scheme that falsified health‑report documents to unlawfully obtain public benefits, causing an estimated loss of 200 million lira and resulting in 10 arrests. An additional operation in 54 provinces targeted individuals who glorified criminal groups on social media, leading to 258 arrests.

These actions reflect a broad, multi‑agency effort to disrupt organized criminal networks, seize illegal assets and deter future illicit activities across the country.