Latest news with #NationalOperationsDepartment
Local Sweden
04-07-2025
- Local Sweden
Swedish police confirm arrest of notorious gang leader Ismail Abdo in Turkey
Internationally wanted Swedish gang criminal Ismail Abdo, also known as 'The Strawberry', has been arrested in Turkey, Swedish police have confirmed. Advertisement "Today, Turkish police arrested a Swedish man in a police operation in Turkey who is suspected of carrying out serious narcotics crimes for many years, as well as instigating gross violent crimes in Sweden," Swedish police wrote in a press statement. Turkish news bureau Anatolia was first to report on Abdo's arrest, which has now been confirmed by Swedish police. "The arrest is the result of targeted efforts by Swedish and Turkish authorities," Mats Berggren, acting deputy head of the police's National Operations Department (NOA) wrote in the statement. "Swedish police have assisted in the investigation which led to the arrest." According to media reports, Abdo is reportedly one of 19 suspects arrested in a large-scale operation carried out by Turkish authorities in multiple different cities in the country. State prosecutor Daniel Jonsson is working on a number of cases Abdo is involved in. "I've put out an international warrant for him and he's also listed on Interpol," he told TT, although he did not comment on why ‒ or whether ‒ Abdo has been arrested this time. "We've been working for a long time to try and get him back to Sweden," Jonsson said. Abdo was previously the right-hand man of Rawa Majid, leader of the Foxtrot gang. He fell out with Majid in 2023, sparking a wave of deadly shootings in Sweden. Since then, arresting him has been one of the Swedish police force's top priorities. He is wanted in Sweden for multiple drugs offences and for anstiftan till försök till mord, instigating attempted murder. Advertisement Abdo holds Turkish citizenship and was arrested in 2024 by police in Turkey during a traffic control. He was released on bail despite the international warrant against him.
The Citizen
04-07-2025
- The Citizen
Notorious Swedish crime kingpin arrested in Turkey
The 35-year-old – one of Sweden's most wanted criminals – was arrested by Turkish security forces during a raid. The head of one of Sweden's biggest crime organisations, accused of instigating a surge in violent crime, has been arrested in Turkey, Swedish police said Friday. Police did not identify the man by name but Swedish media named his as 35-year-old Ismail Abdo, head of the Rumba crime organisation and alleged to have been orchestrating operations from abroad. Abdo is one of Sweden's most wanted criminals, with an international arrest warrant issued for him in 2024. Organised crime in Sweden The Scandinavian country, once known for its low crime rates, has struggled for years to rein in organised crime. Criminal networks are involved in drug and arms trafficking, welfare fraud, and regular shootings and bombings that have plagued the country in recent years. The networks are also reported to have infiltrated Sweden's welfare sector, local politics, legal and education system as well as juvenile detention care. The leaders of the criminal networks increasingly operate from abroad, orchestrating murders and attacks via social media and often recruiting young children under the age of criminal responsibility to carry out the attacks. ALSO READ: Son of Norway princess suspected of three rapes Most wanted Abdo once led the Foxtrot crime network together with Rawa Majid — Sweden's other most wanted criminal — and the two are suspected of having controlled large parts of the Swedish drug market. But the pair fell out in 2023, and a wave of ruthless, escalating violence was triggered when Abdo's mother was shot dead in September 2023 in an act of revenge. Abdo's Rumba gang has since waged a violent feud against Majid and Foxtrot. Abdo's arrest Abdo was arrested in a raid conducted by Turkish security forces, police said. 'In a law enforcement operation in Turkey, Turkish police have today arrested a Swedish man who for many years has been suspected of drug-related crimes and instigating serious violent crimes in Sweden,' police said in a statement. 'The arrest is the result of targeted work over time between Turkish and Swedish judicial systems,' Mats Berggren, acting deputy chief at the Swedish police's National Operations Department (NOA), said in the statement. NOW READ: French prosecutors seek murder charge for school stabbing suspect
