Minister Yerlikaya announces: International armed criminal organization Comanchero dismantled in 'Operation Cage' in Istanbul

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced in a post on his social media account that the globally operating Comanchero gang has been dismantled, with 37 suspects apprehended in total, including some individuals listed in the red and blue categories.

Minister Yerlikaya stated the following:

"With 'Operation Cage' conducted in Istanbul, the international armed organized crime organization Comanchero, which operates globally with its base in Australia and is led by Hakan Ayık (Reis), has been dismantled! As a result of the operations, 37 suspects were apprehended!

The so-called leader of the Australia-based, globally operating Transnational Armed Organized Crime Organization named COMANCHERO, Mick HAWI, was killed in 2018. It has been understood that the criminal organization, which continued its activities under the leadership of Mark Douglas BUDDLE, continued to commit crimes including international drug trafficking, homicide, armed robbery, arson, kidnapping, and money laundering.

The organization's so-called leader Mark Douglas BUDDLE was captured in the TRNC in 2022 and handed over to Australian authorities. HAKAN AYIK (REIS) and Duax Hohepa NGAKURU, who were in the leadership cadre of the criminal organization, took over the management of the organization and continued its criminal activities.

4.5 BILLION TL IN ASSETS SEIZED

It was determined that the gang leaders, along with Turkish citizen organization managers and members as well as foreign national organization members, came to our country to continue their criminal activities, attempted to transport drugs obtained from South America to Australia, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong via South Korea and South Africa, and attempted to launder the proceeds from their globally committed crimes in our country.

Under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, an operation was conducted by the General Directorate of Security's Anti-Narcotic Crimes Department and our Istanbul Provincial Police Department's Anti-Narcotic Crimes Branch against the transnational armed organized crime organization COMANCHERO for the crimes of 'Establishing an Organization to Commit Crimes, being a member of the established organization, International Drug Trafficking, and Laundering Assets Derived from Crime.'

In line with MASAK reports, assets worth approximately 4.5 billion TL belonging to 55 suspects (bank accounts, real estate, vehicles, and partnership shares in 22 companies) were seized by the decision of the Istanbul 3rd Criminal Court of Peace.

THEY WERE WANTED WITH RED AND BLUE NOTICES

HAKAN AYIK (REIS), who is wanted with a RED NOTICE issued by US and Australian authorities, DUAX HOHEPA NGAKURU, who is wanted with a RED NOTICE issued by New Zealand authorities, HAKAN ARİF TAVUKÇU, who is wanted with a RED NOTICE issued by Australian authorities, BARIŞ TÜKEL, who is wanted with a RED NOTICE issued by US authorities, ERKAN YUSUF DOĞAN, who is wanted with a RED NOTICE issued by US authorities, JİMMY AVAIJAN, who is wanted with a BLUE NOTICE, SİBEL ARİF, who is wanted with a BLUE NOTICE, and ALP ÖZTÜRK, who is wanted with a BLUE NOTICE, along with 37 suspects who participated in and assisted in money laundering activities, were apprehended."

A statement regarding the matter came from the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

The statement included the following:

THEY WERE TAKEN IN A DAWN OPERATION

"As a result of investigations into the 'Comanchero' criminal organization, led by suspect Hakan Ayık (Reis), who is alleged to have committed the crimes of 'establishing an organization to commit crimes, being a member of an organization established to commit crimes, drug and stimulant trafficking, and laundering assets derived from crime,' and who is internationally wanted by the United States and Australia via Interpol red notice; it was determined that the organization transported drugs obtained from South American countries and our country to Australia, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands using the South Korea and South Africa route, that 3 tons and 812 kg of drugs were seized in captures made between 2019-2021 using data from the Anom Encrypted Communication Platform used by the organization in cooperation with the United States and the Australian Federal Police, that 800 people were detained in 16 countries, primarily Australia, with FBI support, but the leadership cadre of the criminal organization could not be captured in the simultaneous operations, that the leadership cadre was brought to Turkey under the leadership of suspect Hakan Ayık (Reis), that organizational money laundering acts were initiated in our country, and that documents regarding the aforementioned encrypted communication program were delivered to our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office via the Australian Embassy in Ankara,

As a result of the examination conducted regarding the organization members who tried to launder the income they obtained by engaging in international drug trafficking in our country through various methods, the 'report regarding the value derived from crime' was prepared by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), and in line with this, bank accounts, safe deposit boxes, real estate, vehicles, and company partnership shares belonging to 55 suspects with a total average value of 4,500,000,000 TL were seized with the decision of the Istanbul 3rd Criminal Court of Peace dated 13/04/2023 and numbered 2023/2592 miscellaneous works,

During the investigation process, a total of 71 suspects were identified, including 62 suspects who were wanted at an international level—5 with red notices and 9 with blue notices—and who participated in money laundering activities, it was determined that 50 of these suspects were in our country, while the others were learned to be currently abroad, and an operation was conducted by the Istanbul Provincial Police Department Anti-Narcotic Crimes Branch on 02/11/2023 at 06:00 under the coordination of our Chief Public Prosecutor's Office to apprehend the suspects determined to be in our country."

WITH OPERATION CAGE CONDUCTED IN ISTANBUL, THE INTERNATIONAL ARMED ORGANIZED CRIME ORGANIZATION COMANCHERO, WHICH OPERATES GLOBALLY WITH ITS BASE IN AUSTRALIA AND IS LED BY HAKAN AYIK (REIS), HAS BEEN DISMANTLED??

AS A RESULT OF THE OPERATIONS, 3?7? SUSPECTS WERE APPREHENDED??

Australia… pic.twitter.com/mk7h5V9zZ3

— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) November 2, 2023