With the collaboration of Greece National Intelligence Service (NIS – EYP) and National Intelligence Organization of Turkey (MIT)Turkish police dismantled one of the biggest criminal networks in the country, “Baygaras”, which extended its activities to Greece.

In the coordinated police operations “Kluvi” (Cage) and “Kuyu 37” (Well 37), 286 members of the Baygaras organization have been arrested so far in Turkey. Baygaras was involved in a wide range of criminal activities, including murder, extortion, arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, migrant smuggling, theft and robbery. Headquartered in Adana, the organization operated branches throughout Turkey and began expanding into Europe. The leader of the group, Ramazan Baygara, is currently detained in Greece.

Ramazan Baygara assumed leadership of the gang after the 2020 assassination of his 37-year-old brother Benderhan at a bakery in the Pinar area of ​​Seyhan, Adana. In the wake of the murder, Turkish authorities tried to crack down on the group, but only managed to arrest 25 members. Baygara and his deputies escaped and renamed the organization “Baygaras” in honor of the slain leader.

The investigation took off in February 2024 when EYP provided the Greek police (ELAS) with information that led to the arrest of two Turkish nationals living in luxury in a villa in Chania, Crete. Documents related to Baygara were found during a search, prompting EYP to notify MIT. The exchange of information revealed that one of the people detained was a key member of Baygaras. The collaboration intensified as the Mafia was embroiled in an internal war.

Since September, Greece has seen a series of violent mafia-related incidents, with eight murders of Turkish citizens taking place in Loutsa (six), Piraeus and Kypseli. These murders highlighted the deepening rift within the Turkish mafia.

EYP identified Baygara’s hideout in Athens, closely monitoring him before his arrest on 10 May 2024. He was apprehended during a night out after months of surveillance. However, even behind bars, Baygara reportedly continued to command operations.

A month after Baygara’s arrest, mob violence spread across Turkey. In Kocaeli, a 48-year-old teacher, Mahir Çoğatç, was killed in an alleged reprisal killing. The victim was the brother of Emin Çoğatç, a fugitive suspected of killing Baygara’s brother. A 17-year-old arrested for the assassination claimed the hit was ordered from Greece by members of Baygaras, with the promise of money, a car and asylum.

This revelation prompted the Turkish authorities to launch a large-scale operation. More than 286 Baygaras members, including nine women, were arrested in 16 provinces. A cache of firearms, grenades and other weapons were seized.

The Turkish Interior Ministry celebrated the success of the operation, but challenges remain as several Baygaras members are still at large. Dismantling such an extensive network is only the beginning of a protracted effort to eradicate its influence.