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Organized crime crackdowns in Turkey and Algeria

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-07-26 17:26 UTC → 2026-08-03 17:23 UTC · added removed

In early June, June 2026 Turkish police dismantled a large‑scale tobacco‑smuggling operation in Istanbul and uncovered a multinational diamond‑smuggling ring, seizing millions of carried out coordinated raids that seized more than 1.7 million empty cigarette rolling papers, tons over a ton of shredded tobacco, thousands of illegal cigarettes cigarette packs and diamonds, related equipment, and arresting dozens of detained 22 suspects. A parallel investigation uncovered a multinational diamond‑smuggling ring valued at about 1.7 billion Turkish lira, with diamonds hidden in earbuds, snack bags and e‑cigarette devices; several members, including an Iranian courier, were arrested. Algerian authorities also moved against organized crime that month, first breaking up continued their anti‑organized‑crime drive. On 10 June the Central Brigade for Economic and Financial Crime dismantled a fraud network tied to the inside United Tobacco Company Company, arresting ten executives and later raiding a cross‑border drug‑trafficking group seizing luxury assets – villas in Algiers and Spain, high‑end apartments, cars, watches and cash – linked to losses estimated at 1 000 billion centimes. A week later, on 28 June, the National Gendarmerie’s drug‑fight service raided Algiers, capturing arresting twelve suspects suspected traffickers and seizing confiscating four quintals of processed cannabis, nearly 3 000 psychotropic tablets, ten vehicles, cash a motorcycle and communications equipment. cash exceeding one billion centimes. The campaign continued in July. On 12 July, Algeria’s Gendarmerie National units from July operations previously reported – the 1st and 2nd Military Regions conducted 12 July coordinated raids in Algiers and Tlemcen against a transborder drug network, resulting in that netted 17 arrests and the seizure of seized over six metric tonnes of processed kif, an additional 35 kg of kif, 1 350 psychotropic tablets, five utility vehicles and a motorcycle. The Ministry of National Defence said the actions are part of ongoing efforts by the army and security services to dismantle organized crime and safeguard national stability. On 26 July, the Algerian July army extended the operation to the southern provinces of raids in Béchar, Adrar and Timimoun. The raids seized Timimoun that captured 45 kg of cocaine, 357 g of additional cocaine, nearly cocaine and almost 60 000 psychotropic tablets and four – remained part of the same campaign. On 3 August police in Chlef arrested two copper‑theft suspects and, in a larger Algiers operation, dismantled six neighbourhood‑gang networks, detaining 42 people, seizing 58 knives, 700 psychotropic capsules, 15 g of cocaine, explosives, a tourist vehicles used for transport. Five individuals were arrested. vehicle and cash over 218 000 dinars. Officials again linked repeatedly emphasized that the coordinated actions to of the broader campaign against army, gendarmerie and police aim to dismantle transnational narcotics organised‑crime networks, stressing inter‑unit coordination cut illicit financing and the aim of eradicating organized‑crime financing. preserve national stability.

Versions

  1. 2026-08-03 17:23 UTC Organized crime crackdowns in Turkey and Algeria
  2. 2026-07-26 17:26 UTC Organized crime crackdowns in Turkey and Algeria

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