Turkish Organized Crime Expanding Operations in Europe, Diversifying into Cocaine and Synthetic Drugs
Turkish organized crime is on the rise in Europe, particularly in countries with large Turkish and Kurdish populations. These criminal groups have expanded their operations beyond the heroin trade and are now involved in dealing cocaine, methamphetamine, and synthetic drugs.
Recent incidents have highlighted the growing influence of Turkish organized crime across Europe. Two murders—one in Barcelona, Spain, and one in Chisinau, Moldova—and a shooting in London were all linked to these criminal networks.
Mahmut Cengiz, an associate professor at George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime, and Corruption Center, stated that these high-profile murders indicate a troubling trend of escalating violence among Turkish organized crime groups throughout Europe.
In May 2024, Ilmettin Aytekin (also known as “Tekin Kartal”), a prominent Turkish mafia boss was shot dead outside a restaurant in Barcelona after meeting with Abdullah Baybaşin. Baybaşin is the head of a notorious crime family who had previously been convicted of drug importation but later had his conviction overturned.
Three weeks later, a shooting outside a Turkish cafe in London left a 9-year-old girl critically injured. The incident targeted Kenan Aydogdu and Mustafa Kiziltan who are believed to be associated with the Hackney-based gang called the Bombacilar (Bombers).
On July 10th, Izzet Eren from the Tottenham Turks gang was gunned down while sitting outside a cafe in Chisinau. Eren had been captured by authorities but was released on bail before being extradited to the UK.
These incidents suggest that these criminal organizations may be expanding their operations beyond local boundaries and could potentially impact public safety across various cities. Law enforcement agencies need to coordinate their response to address this evolving threat posed by Turkish organized crime.
Ryan Gingeras, an expert on Turkey’s illicit activities stated that Turkey has become increasingly integral to global illegal activities such as drug trafficking and money laundering. He emphasized that Turkey has transitioned from being an origin state for heroin to becoming a transit stop for opiates before developing its own synthetic narcotics industry catering to domestic and foreign markets.
A convicted criminal from London’s Turkish community revealed that Mexican and Turkish gangs arranged deals involving swapping consignments of heroin for cocaine at Rotterdam port. This arrangement allowed Mexican cartels access to sell heroin in America while providing Turks with access to cocaine within Europe.
Cengiz highlighted record levels of annual cocaine seizures at Antwerp port (Belgium) – 66 metric tonnes -and Rotterdam port (Netherlands) -33 metric tonnes-. He also mentioned that Turkish mafia groups traffic methamphetamine sourced from Iran using similar routes through the Balkans.
The popular Mediterranean resort town of Bodrum serves as one hub for controlling heroin entering the UK market according to Ümit Ceyhan—a pseudonym used by an interviewee due to fear of retribution—who claimed Koray Alpergin facilitated drug smuggling through his connections there before he was abducted and murdered by Tottenham Turks members.
