Turkey deals huge blow on organized crime

ANKARA

Some 1,600 suspects have been arrested since January in a major security crackdown on organized crime in Turkey, the Interior Ministry said Tuesday.

Police and gendarmerie forces have carried out 141 operations against organized criminal networks across Turkey between January 1 and April 15, the ministry said, adding courts have remanded 630 suspects in custody.

Last year saw 332 operations that have uprooted 47 national/regional and 250 local criminal networks.

Also in 2018, 4,565 ringleaders and members of criminal networks were remanded in custody, of which 810 were arrested.

In the operations, security forces captured hundreds of weapons, rifles and ammunition.

Ten foreign nationals have also been arrested and extradited to their countries.

*Writing by Vakkas Dogantekin