Echoes of the murdered Iranian drug lord continue: Who organized the production?

It has been revealed that the Iranian-born Yousef Ali Akbari, who lost his life in an armed attack at Vadi Istanbul in Sarıyer's Ayazağa district on the evening of December 8, was the leader of a drug network in Turkey. 

It was learned that Yılmaz, who took the name Aras Yılmaz after becoming a Turkish citizen last year and was killed in the attack, was at the head of an international network that shipped 4 tons of drugs from Iran to Turkey. According to Halk TV's report, the hitman who killed Yılmaz, Mert Akçay, and the former motorcycle champion Öner Önal, who assisted him, were arrested and sent to prison. Following Yılmaz's murder, the arrest of Reza Hamati, who was seen as the manager of the drug gang, brought the details of the drug operations to light.

LARGE QUANTITIES OF DRUGS SEIZED 

Just three weeks after Yılmaz's death, teams from the Istanbul Narcotics Crimes Investigation Branch launched a major operation against the drug gang led by Aras Yılmaz. 

Within the scope of the investigation conducted under the instructions of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, 8 people were arrested. During the operation, over 4 tons of methamphetamine and raw materials used for drug production were seized. The largest drug seizure was carried out in Ağrı on March 14, 2024, where 1 ton 982 kilograms of liquid methamphetamine were found.

8 TRUCKLOADS OF DRUGS MANUFACTURED 

According to the investigation file, the network's leader Aras Yılmaz (Ali Akbari) was organizing drug shipments from Iran to Turkey before the murder on December 8. Reza Hamati, who was arrested as the second-in-command of the network, was caught and detained in Istanbul on December 27, 2024. While engaging in drug trafficking, Hamati and the gang members had shipped 8 truckloads of raw materials necessary for drug production from Iran to Turkey. While the suspects ensured the shipment of raw materials used in drug production in Turkey, they were operating a system that could not prevent 3 trucks from passing through customs.

'DOCTORS' SENT FROM IRAN FOR DRUG PRODUCTION 

It was determined that Reza Hamati organized drug production in Turkey in line with the instructions of gang leader Aras Yılmaz. After Yılmaz's death, Hamati brought experts described as 'doctors' from Iran to Turkey to receive support regarding drug production. While Hamati is accused as a defendant in two separate drug cases filed against him, he denied the accusations against him.

The police also examined phone conversations between Reza Hamati and another Iranian suspect, Alireza Salahi. While relaying a conversation he had with someone else to Hamati, Salahi was using the expressions, "350 million is needed, I will pay Rıza's money, he says what will happen. You will pay the money here." Hamati was evaluated with the view that he used the term "cargo" for the shipment of raw materials used in drug production to Salahi.

WHO IS IN THE DRUG GANG'S LEADERSHIP TEAM?

It was determined that the Iranian Reza Hamati, who is in the leadership cadre of the drug gang, also played an important role in the protection of this network. Among those arrested are Sait Aksoy and Burak Uşar, who served as bodyguards for the drug network. While Aksoy became a Turkish citizen three years ago, it was learned that Uşar owned 4 private public buses. The duo were acting as bodyguards for Reza Hamati and did not make any accusations regarding the network.

Ismail Gözde, Meysam Zohouri Rad, Milad Sadeghzadeh, Reza Hamati, Ahmet Khaleel, Sait Aksoy, Burak Uşar, and Berat Ayhan, who were detained within the scope of the investigation, were arrested and sent to prison. It was determined that the Iranian-born Sait Aksoy was linked to the drug network and involved in drug trafficking after becoming a Turkish citizen.