Türkiye
Sercan Sayal, wanted for 116 crimes, is jailed in İzmir after being sent back from Greece
Developing
- What happened
- A court in İzmir on Friday ordered Sercan Sayal, described by police as the leader of a “new-generation” criminal gang, held in jail pending trial.
- Why it matters
- Sayal was wanted on an Interpol red notice and in 116 separate cases, including murder, and police say he organised 90 shootings in İzmir.
- What’s next
- He was caught in Greece and flown to Türkiye on Thursday; he now stays in custody while the case against him proceeds.
How this story developed
- 15:16First report
- 15:162nd source
- 15:16Confirmed
- 15:483rd source
- 17:164th source
- 15:16First reportAnadolu Ajansı
- 15:162nd sourceSözcü
- 15:16ConfirmedWas: Single source
- 15:483rd sourceCumhuriyet
- 17:16Latest4th sourceNTV
Full story
From Greece to the courthouse
Sercan Sayal, whom Turkish police describe as the leader of a “new-generation organised crime group”, was sent to the courthouse in İzmir on Friday after police completed their procedures, Anadolu Agency, Sözcü, Hürriyet and NTV reported. A duty court then ordered him held in jail pending trial, Cumhuriyet and NTV reported.
Sayal had been caught in Greece and was handed over to Türkiye on Thursday. He was flown to Istanbul Airport on Turkish Airlines flight TK1844, received there by the airport police and then taken to İzmir, Sözcü and Cumhuriyet reported. Cumhuriyet said he was held at the Yeşilyurt building of the İzmir police headquarters. NTV said tight security measures were in place as he was taken to court. His case had been handled by the organised crime branch of the İzmir police, Anadolu Agency said.
Wanted in 116 cases
Sayal was wanted internationally on an Interpol red notice and had 116 separate warrants against him, according to the outlets. The charges include premeditated murder, intentional killing, forming an organisation to commit crimes, aggravated robbery and armed robbery by more than one person.
The Interior Ministry said on Thursday that investigators had found Sayal organised 90 shootings, three woundings, one killing and 164 threats in İzmir, Anadolu Agency reported. The figures come from the ministry; the accusations have not yet been tested in court.
A joint operation
The operation was run by the intelligence and anti-smuggling and organised crime departments of the General Directorate of Security, its Interpol-Europol department, the İzmir police organised crime branch and the Justice Ministry, the Interior Ministry said.
The Interior Ministry had announced on Thursday that Sayal, caught in Greece, would be brought back to Türkiye. Sözcü and Cumhuriyet also described his gang as a “new-generation organised crime group”. Before the hearing, NTV reported that he was expected to appear before a judge within hours, and the court ordered him jailed the same afternoon.
