On Friday, July 4, 2025, during a raid on suspected drug traffickers, one of Sweden’s most-wanted suspected gang leaders was taken into custody in Turkey.
Swedish police describe this high-profile arrest as a major success in the fight against organized crime.
In a statement, Swedish police said, “The arrest is the result of targeted work over time between the Turkish and Swedish judicial systems.”
According to a Swedish police source and Turkey’s TRT Haber state television broadcaster, the suspect was Ismail Abdo, 35, a Swedish-Turkish dual citizen.
Related Posts
Since 2023, over 12 people, including Abdo’s mother, have been killed in Sweden in what law enforcement describes as a gang war between Abdo and a former ally.
According to TRT Haber, Abdo is one of 19 individuals detained as part of a significant investigation into organized criminal networks involved in international drug trafficking and money laundering.
Authorities also seized assets worth around 1.5 billion Turkish lira ($38 million). Arrest warrants were filed for an additional 21 people, with four still at large, 14 thought to be abroad, and three already in detention on unrelated counts.
In Sweden, Abdo’s apprehension will provide a significant boost to the police and the right-wing government, which won the 2022 election on a promise to end a gang crime wave that has plagued the country for more than a decade.
