Türkiye strikes the “car wash mafia.” 73 defendants are behind bars

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The Turkish authorities carried out a large security operation against a criminal organization known as Yıkamacılar, and arrested 106 suspects, including Tolga Hoşçuk Delin, who investigations suspected of leading the group.

The judicial authorities decided to detain 73 defendants pending investigation, and subject 33 others to judicial supervision, according to what the Turkish authorities officially announced hours ago.

Investigations, which lasted 16 months, revealed the group's suspected activity in the southern state of Adana, before the operation extended to 11 Turkish states.

Police teams carried out raids at 120 addresses, as part of a campaign aimed at dismantling the organizational structure and prosecuting those involved in armed criminal activities.

Investigations included the name “Yikamagilar” in a file related to a criminal network suspected of relying on violence, the threat of weapons, and drug trafficking.

According to Turkish reports, the name of the group was linked to car washes in Adana, which investigators suspected of being used as a cover for some activities and movements. However, the published information did not provide sufficient independent details to definitively determine the date of the organization’s founding, the extent of its actual spread, or its chain of command.

The authorities linked the suspects to 32 criminal incidents, including establishing a criminal organization, attempted murder, assault, armed threat, aggravated robbery, and drug trafficking.

Investigations suggested that drug trade proceeds were likely to be used to finance the group’s activities, within the framework of a security file that combined violent crimes and illicit activities.

The raids resulted in the seizure of 14 unlicensed pistols, four hunting rifles, and 402 bullets, in addition to 390 cannabis plants and 1,403 narcotic tablets.

The security teams also confiscated quantities of cannabis, cocaine, industrial hemp, and amphetamine, in addition to bullet-proof vests, precise scales, and tools for grinding narcotic substances.

The procedures extended to financial and real estate assets, as the authorities confiscated two properties valued at approximately 20.5 million Turkish liras, and 12 vehicles with a total value of approximately 7.275 million liras, bringing the total value of the confiscated assets to approximately 27.8 million Turkish liras.

The operation reflected the Turkish authorities' tendency in recent years to increase pressure on criminal networks suspected of combining armed violence with drug trafficking. The published information did not prove the existence of international links to the organization, nor did the imprisonment decisions mean the issuance of final convictions, as the accusations remained subject to investigation and judicial procedures.