Drug baron Urfi Çetinkaya dies in prison

In the "Kafes-44" operation conducted on February 20 against the organized crime syndicate led by Urfi Çetinkaya, 43 suspects were detained across Istanbul, Izmir, Afyonkarahisar, Malatya, Antalya, Çanakkale, Bilecik, Muğla, and Balıkesir.

It was determined that the suspects, who were found to be responsible for a total of 37 tons of drugs—13 tons seized in Germany, Bulgaria, Spain, Mauritania, Portugal, and Greece, and 24 tons in Turkey—carried out international drug shipments using their own ships, commercial containers, and fishing boats, as well as those belonging to their associates.

Within the scope of the investigation, precautionary measures were placed on assets belonging to the criminal organization with a total value of approximately 20 billion, including 147 plots of land, 56 residences, 8 apartment buildings, 74 workplaces, 53 luxury vehicles, boats, partnership shares in 53 companies, 64 bank accounts, 7 safe deposit boxes, and numerous pieces of jewelry, cash, and cold wallets.

Urfi Çetinkaya, who had a finalized 24-year prison sentence for "manufacturing and transporting narcotic substances as an organized group" and was captured in Istanbul while being sought via an Interpol Red Notice, was arrested on April 12, 2023.

According to the report in Cumhuriyet, it has been reported that Urfi Çetinkaya, known as the "Turkish Escobar," has died in prison. Çetinkaya had been sentenced to many years in prison on charges of leading an organized crime syndicate and drug trafficking.

News Source: 12punto