Turkey arrests one of Sweden's most-wanted suspected gang leaders

By Johan Ahlander and Ezgi Erkoyun

STOCKHOLM/ISTANBUL (Reuters) -One of Sweden's most-wanted suspected gang leaders was taken into custody in Turkey on Friday during a raid on suspected drug traffickers, in what Swedish police described as a major success in the battle against organised crime.

"The arrest is the result of targeted work over time between the Turkish and Swedish judicial systems," Swedish police said in a statement.

The statement did not identify the suspect, but a Swedish police source and Turkey's TRT Haber state television broadcaster said he was Ismail Abdo, 35, a Swedish-Turkish dual citizen.

More than 12 people have been killed in Sweden since 2023, including Abdo's mother, in what police have described as a gang war between Abdo and a former ally.

TRT Haber reported that Abdo was among 19 suspects detained as part of a major investigation into organised criminal groups involved in international drug trafficking and money laundering.

Authorities also seized assets worth around 1.5 billion Turkish lira ($38 million). Arrest warrants were issued for a further 21 suspects, with four still at large, 14 believed to be abroad and three already in custody on other charges.

In Sweden, the capture of Abdo will provide a major boost for the police and for the right-wing government, which won the 2022 election on a promise to stop a gang crime wave that has plagued the country for over a decade.

(Reporting by Johan Ahlander and Ezgi ErkoyunEditing by Peter Graff)