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

As part of the coordinated police operations “Kluvi” (Cage) and “Kuyu 37” (Well 37), 286 members of the Baygaras organization have been arrested in Turkey so far. Baygaras was involved in a wide array of criminal activities, including murders, extortion, arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking, prostitution, migrant smuggling, thefts, and robberies. Based in Adana, the organization operated branches across Turkey and had started expanding into Europe. The group’s leader, 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 pastry shop in the Pinar area of Seyhan, Adana. Following the murder, Turkish authorities attempted 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 gained momentum in February 2024 when EYP provided Greek police (ELAS) with information leading to the arrest of two Turkish nationals living lavishly in a villa in Chania, Crete. Documents linked to Baygara were found during a search, prompting EYP to notify MIT. The intelligence exchange revealed that one of the detained individuals was a key member of Baygaras. The collaboration intensified as the mafia was embroiled in an internal war.

Since September, a series of violent incidents linked to the mafia unfolded in Greece, with eight murders of Turkish nationals occurring in Loutsa (six), Piraeus, and Kypseli. These killings highlighted the deepening rift within the Turkish mafia.

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

A month after Baygara’s arrest, the mafia’s violence spilled into Turkey. In Kocaeli, a 48-year-old teacher, Mahir Çoğatç, was assassinated in a suspected retaliatory killing. The victim was the brother of Emin Çoğatç, a fugitive suspected of murdering Baygara’s brother. A 17-year-old arrested for the assassination claimed the hit was ordered from Greece by Baygaras members, with the promise of money, a car, and asylum.

This revelation prompted Turkish authorities to launch a large-scale operation. Over 286 members of Baygaras, including nine women, were arrested across 16 provinces. A cache of firearms, grenades, and other weapons was confiscated.

The Turkish Ministry of Interior celebrated the operation’s success, but challenges remain as several Baygaras members are still at large. The dismantling of such a sprawling network is only the beginning of a prolonged effort to eradicate its influence.