By Yusuf Soykan Bal
ANKARA (AA) – Turkish security forces captured a total of 42 suspects, who were wanted with an Interpol Red Notice in 12 countries, the country’s interior minister said on Friday.
Ali Yerlikaya said on X that the suspects were captured as a result of simultaneous raids as part of the “Cage-31 Operation” across 13 provinces.
The operation was carried out under the coordination of the General Directorate of Security Intelligence, the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Directorate, and the Interpol-Europol Department, he said.
The suspects were sought by 12 countries, including Germany, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Iran, Sweden, Finland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Egypt, Russia, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan, he added.
Stressing that the operation continues, he said the suspects were members of an organized crime group, engaged in illegal arms trade, drug trafficking, deliberate murder, immigrant smuggling, qualified and financial fraud, robbery and theft, forgery of official documents, and tax evasion.
Yerlikaya added that a total of 114 people wanted with a red notice have been captured with Cage Operations since the beginning of this year.
*Writing by Gozde Bayar