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A Turkish court has sentenced Coskun Necati Arabaci, an alleged Hells Angels ringleader known as the “Father of Cologne” and “Hell’s Necati,” to 15.5 years in prison for founding and leading a criminal organization and for related violent offenses.
The Izmir 20th High Criminal Court issued the verdict at a hearing earlier this week. Arabaci was convicted of establishing and managing an organization for the purpose of committing crimes.
He was also convicted on two counts of intentional injury against separate victims, and of carrying an unlicensed firearm during an armed injury, both under the charge of leading the organization. The court acquitted him of the remaining charges.
Prosecutors had sought up to 35 years in prison for Hells Angels ringleader Arabaci. The indictment, which the court accepted, listed organization leadership, aggravated robbery, aggravated intentional injury and violations of Türkiye’s law on firearms and knives. The final sentence is well below that ceiling.
Arabaci, a Turkish-German national, was detained on Oct. 5, 2025, at Adnan Menderes Airport in Izmir after an intelligence operation by the city police department’s organized crime unit.
He was formally arrested on Oct. 8 on charges that included establishing a criminal organization and aggravated robbery.
His time in custody did not proceed smoothly. A criminal court of first instance ordered his release under judicial control, reportedly including house arrest with an electronic ankle monitor.
The Izmir Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office objected immediately, and the Izmir 1st High Criminal Court overturned the release. It cited concerns over flight risk and possible pressure on witnesses. Arabaci was reportedly returned to his cell while completing his release paperwork.
Legal commentators questioned how such a figure could have been granted release even briefly. Some argued that top-level crime bosses often delegate criminal acts to subordinates, which can leave direct evidence thin.
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Authorities have accused Arabaci of leading a network involved in money laundering, drug trafficking and weapons smuggling.
The Hells Angels, founded in 1948 in Fontana, California, is one of the best-known so-called outlaw motorcycle clubs and has since expanded internationally.
Arabaci built his reputation in Germany, where he was active in Cologne. German authorities arrested him in 2002 on charges including pimping, human trafficking, assault, extortion and weapons violations.
He confessed at his 2004 trial and received a nine-year sentence. He was later released and deported to Türkiye.
In a related development, police carried out coordinated raids in Istanbul, Izmir and Tunceli on May 1, 2026, targeting a group allegedly led by Arabaci from his Izmir jail cell. Turkish media reported that five people were detained and assets worth 780 million Turkish lira were seized.
The seizure reportedly included 21 properties, five vehicles and nine companies or shareholdings. Investigators alleged the group was armed and involved in international drug trafficking.
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