Turkish Police Arrest Key Members of Abdo's Inner Circle

Turkey intensifies its crackdown on members of gang leader Ismail 'Strawberry' Abdo's criminal network. Among those arrested are two of his closest associates, reports Aftonbladet. One of them is Abdo's best friend, Umut Koyuncu.

The Turkish police conducted raids on gang members in several cities across Turkey last Friday.

They apprehended 26 suspected criminals, including Swedish citizen Ismail Abdo, leader of the Rumba network and known as 'Strawberry'. He is suspected in an investigation into international drug trafficking and money laundering.

26 Arrested in 'Strawberry' Operation

A total of 26 people were arrested in the operation named 'Strawberry' after the gang leader. The police seized hundreds of kilos of drugs, and 17 of those arrested have been detained for serious drug offenses.

Among them is Umut Koyuncu, one of Abdo's closest men, writes Aftonbladet. He holds both Swedish and Turkish citizenship, as do several other detainees, according to the newspaper's sources.

Umut Koyuncu, 34, is also Ismail Abdo's best friend and a key figure in his faction in the gang conflict that has raged in recent years.

Nicknamed 'Birgitta, 75'

He grew up in southern Stockholm but has lived in Turkey in recent years and is primarily suspected of fraud. The opposing side in the gang conflict has nicknamed Koyuncu 'Birgitta, 75' to signal the type of crime victims he targets.

Umut Koyuncu was detained in absentia in Sweden earlier this week. He is suspected of four counts of preparation for murder in April last year and involving minors in criminal activities, writes Nyhetsbyrån Siren, according to Aftonbladet.

He has previously been convicted in Sweden for serious money laundering and fraud against the elderly. He was severely injured in a shooting in Turkey last year.