Notorious Swedish gang leader arrested in Turkey

One of Sweden's astir wanted pack leaders, Ismail Abdo, has been arrested successful Turkey, the Swedish prosecutor's bureau said connected Friday.

The dual Swedish-Turkish nationalist has an extended database of drug-related charges against him according to the planetary constabulary agency, Interpol.

The 35-year-old, nicknamed The Strawberry, is simply a well-known person of the Rumba transgression pack successful Sweden. He is accused of orchestrating amerciable operations from overseas and has been the taxable of an Interpol reddish notice since past year.

Swedish constabulary did not place him, but confirmed the apprehension of a antheral "suspected of having engaged successful superior cause trafficking and inciting superior convulsive crimes" for galore years successful Sweden.

He was 1 of 19 radical who were arrested during raids successful Turkey, wherever officers seized much than a tonne of drugs, authorities broadcaster TRT reported. Exactly wherever the raids took spot has not been revealed.

Arrest warrants were issued for a further 21 suspects, of whom 14 were believed to beryllium overseas and 3 already successful custody connected different charges. Four are inactive astatine large, TRT added.

Turkish authorities reportedly seized assets worthy astir 1.5bn Turkish lira (£27.8m; $38m), including 20 vehicles, slope accounts and 51 existent property properties.

Gang unit successful Sweden has escalated successful caller years, successful portion due to the fact that Abdo's erstwhile friend, Rawa Majida, is the person of a rival gang, Foxtrot.

Many radical person been killed since their deadly turf warfare began. It entered a new, convulsive section successful 2023 erstwhile Abdo's parent was murdered successful her location successful Uppsala, northbound of the capital, Stockholm.

The escalation prompted the authorities to bring successful the service to assistance tackle the surge successful pack killings.

In 2024, Turkish constabulary arrested Abdo during a postulation stop, but released him connected bail contempt the progressive Interpol reddish announcement against him - a determination which drew disapproval from Swedish authorities who were seeking to extradite Abdo.

The summation successful pack unit that has plagued immoderate of Sweden's biggest cities and dispersed to quieter suburbs and towns has shattered its estimation arsenic a harmless and peaceful nation.

Lat year, Sweden's information service, Sapo, accused Iran of recruiting Swedish pack members to transportation retired attacks connected Israeli oregon Jewish interests. In October, a 13-year-old lad fired shots extracurricular the offices of Israeli tech steadfast Elbit Systems. Israel's embassies successful Sweden and Denmark were besides some targeted.

Sweden's centre-right governing coalition, which promised to extremity the pack transgression question erstwhile it was elected successful 2022, volition spot Abdo's seizure arsenic a win. However the information that helium is besides a Turkish national could complicate the extradition process.

An estimated 14,000 radical successful Sweden are caught up successful transgression gangs, according to a constabulary study past year, and a further 48,000 radical are said to beryllium connected to them.