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Sercan Sayal, described by Turkish authorities as the leader of a "new-generation organized crime group" and wanted on an Interpol red notice with records for 116 offenses, was extradited from Greece to Türkiye on Thursday.
Sayal was flown to Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines flight TK1844, where Interpol and Izmir anti-smuggling and organized crime police took custody of him and transferred him to the airport police branch.
He is expected to be taken to Izmir after procedures are completed.
He is wanted on charges of premeditated murder, intentional killing, forming an organization to commit crimes, aggravated robbery and armed robbery by multiple people.
The extradition was carried out in coordination between the National Police’s intelligence and anti-smuggling and organized crime departments, the Interpol-Europol department, Izmir police and the Justice Ministry.
The Interior Ministry earlier said Sayal, who was caught in Greece, organized 90 shootings, three woundings, one intentional killing and 164 threats in Izmir.
"We have secured the extradition of the red notice-wanted organized crime leader from Greece. We ended his escape and handed him over to justice," Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci said on social media.
"Since the start of the year, we have brought 805 fugitives back to our country from 45 countries, 189 of them gang leaders and members," he said.
"We will pull out one by one those who think committing a crime and fleeing is salvation from the dens where they hide and bring them before justice," he added.
"No hand reaching for Türkiye’s peace is too far for the state to reach," Ciftci said, thanking police and the Justice Ministry.
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