Main-opposition discloses ‘crime bosses’ settled in Turkey after gaining citizenship

Duvar English

During the ongoing discussions on the Justice Ministry's budget at the Parliamentary Planning and Budget Committee on Nov. 28, main-opposition Republican People’s Party (MP) İnan Akgün Alp took the floor and presented Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç with a list of foreign crime syndicate leaders who have settled in Turkey.

The lawmaker stated, “Turkey has become a residence for criminal organizations and their members operating abroad,” and proceeded to disclose the names of organized crime syndicate leaders he had identified individually.

Alp stated that these people received citizenship after using the government's program of granting Turkish citizenship in return of property acquisition in the country and said, “I can extend this list even further, all of them are leaders of international cartels who came to Turkey by buying citizenship under your governments.” 

In his speech Alp stated that Eric Schroeder and Douglas Buddle were staying in the same residence in a skyscraper in Istanbul. He underscored, "Mr. Minister, if you send two of your men to the tallest skyscraper in Istanbul, have them knock on the doors of the second and tenth floors, and Eric Schroeder will open the door. This man is wanted by Germany with a red notice. While you're at the same skyscraper, knock on the door of apartment 28, and Douglas Buddle, the former leader of the Comanchero gang, will open the door for you."

Alp stated that the owner of this skyscraper is one of the founders of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and a former AKP lawmaker. 

He also said, "In Istanbul, all the skyscrapers and contractors connected to the AKP have sold properties at high prices to these drug lords so that they could obtain citizenship. For instance, a 1+1 apartment in that skyscraper costs 90 million Turkish lira." 

Alp also asked Minister Tunç for information regarding allegations that the drug barons had been released in exchange for bribes. Accordingly, he alleged that Istanbul 15th High Criminal Court released a Dutch drug smuggler in exchange for a bribe of 720,000 dollars.

Here is the excerpt from the lawmaker’s speech in which he listed organized crime syndicate leaders residing in Turkey:

"If we look at who is residing in Turkey, the list includes Shamil Amilov from the Russian mafia, Mohammed Zakir from the Belgian mafia, Chen Xuefeng, who is wanted in Vietnam, and Nenad Petrak, the leader of an organized crime network distributing South American drugs across Europe. There’s also Duax Nagakuru, leader of Australia’s infamous Comanchero gang, and Hohepa Ngakuru, wanted in New Zealand from the same group.

The U.S. is searching for Barış Türkel and Erkan Yusuf Doğan, while Dutch drug lord Leijdekkers and fellow cartel member Isaac Bignan are also here. Additionally, Rexhepi, head of the Kompania Bello cartel smuggling drugs from South America to Europe, and Monaghan, leader of a major drug cartel in England’s northeast, are among them.

Eric Schroeder, wanted in Germany, former Comanchero leader Douglas Buddle from Australia, Switzerland’s drug kingpin Rawa Majit, Serbian drug lord Juvan Vukotic, the Rovshan Janiyev gang, and prominent European smuggler Maximillian Rivkin round out the list."