Turkey announced the arrest of Hakan Ayik, a prominent fugitive sought by Australian authorities for drug trafficking, along with 36 other individuals involved in an international organized crime network pursued by U.S. and New Zealand authorities.
Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya disclosed that the apprehensions in Istanbul targeted the armed motorcycle gang known as Comanchero, allegedly implicated in global drug trafficking, manslaughter, robbery, and money laundering. Ayik, known as the “Facebook gangster” in Australia, has been on New South Wales’ most wanted list for over a decade due to his involvement in the supply of substantial quantities of drugs.
Yerlikaya highlighted that Ayik and Duax Hohepa Ngakuru have been leading the crime ring since at least last year, with Ayik being wanted by U.S. and Australian authorities, and Ngakuru, who was also apprehended, being sought in New Zealand. Istanbul’s chief public prosecutor has filed a lawsuit against the Comanchero motorcycle gang, accusing them of laundering their assets in Turkey.
The drug trade linked to the group spanned across continents, including South America, Australia, the Netherlands, Hong Kong, South Korea, and South Africa, as per Yerlikaya’s statement. Turkey’s government released a video of the arrests, showcasing armed special agents and narcotics officers conducting raids, apprehending various individuals, and seizing firearms and stacks of foreign banknotes. The video includes an image of Ayik, kneeling and handcuffed, displaying a distinctive tattoo on his shoulder that corresponds to earlier images of him on social media.
