A leading figure in the Swedish gang milieu was murdered on Monday in Turkey, according to information given to SVT Nyheter.
– This person is described as a major player in drug smuggling, says SVT’s reporter Diamant Salihu.
The man has previously been in Spain, but in recent years, just like many other gang-criminal Swedes, has sought refuge in Turkey. In 2023, SVT Nyheter reported that Swedish police had a direct interest in over 100 criminal individuals in the country – people who for various reasons cannot be accessed.
One reason is that Sweden and Turkey lack a formal extradition agreement. Gang criminals, such as the now murdered man, have therefore been able to feel safe in Turkey with both Swedish and Turkish passports.
– But there has been information circulating for a long time about several different parallel conflicts in this environment where his name has been mentioned. The conflicts are rooted in drug smuggling, says Diamant Salihu.
Social media accounts linked to the Foxtrot network have claimed responsibility for the murder.
– The signals from this environment are that there will be consequences, because it was a person with a wide network of contacts and family ties to prominent criminal figures.
Will Turkey act?
In March 2024, two men with connections to the Swedish criminal environment were shot in Turkey and one died of his injuries. The two shot were said to be standing near Foxtrot summit Ismail Abdo, also known as Strawberry. Two brothers from southern Stockholm will soon be put on trial in Turkey for the murder.
– Now the question is whether these murders will affect Turkey’s attitude towards people with both Swedish and Turkish citizenship and whether Turkey will start acting differently to stop this type of extreme violence on its home soil, says Diamant Salihu.
Strengthened cooperation
Organized crime was raised during a planned ministerial meeting in Ankara on Tuesday. Justice Minister Gunnar Strömmer (M) and Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) talked with Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan about strengthening the countries’ cooperation, among other things.
– Sweden and Turkey are already working closely together in the fight against organized crime. Fighting crime is our government’s top domestic priority and we trust that Turkey as a partner and ally will continue to help us in that fight, Malmer Stenergard says at a press conference.