ISTANBUL, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced on Monday that security forces had detained 106 suspects connected to a major organized criminal group in a large-scale operation across 10 provinces, including Adana, Izmir, Antalya, and Istanbul.

Yerlikaya noted in a post on X that the simultaneous raids, launched Monday morning and coordinated by the Adana Provincial Police Department's anti-smuggling and organized crime branch, targeted 403 addresses and involved 2,000 officers.

The operation targeted a network allegedly led by Ramazan Baygara, a 1998-born fugitive from Adana who is currently wanted internationally, according to the minister.

Ramazan Baygara, who was arrested in Greece in 2024 under an Interpol red notice, has not yet been extradited to Türkiye.

The gang has over 270 members and expanded its illegal activities beyond Adana to provinces such as Sanliurfa, Kirklareli, Batman, Izmir, Ankara, and Istanbul.

Investigations revealed that the Baygara group had been involved in 54 separate criminal cases, including premeditated murder, attempted murder, drug trafficking, armed threats, extortion, property damage, and violations of privacy.

During the operation, police seized four handmade explosives, 27 unlicensed pistols, three AK-47 rifles, two automatic weapons, 38,915 drug pills, and various digital materials, according to the minister.

The criminal group is notorious for its violent feuds with the other gangs in Adana. Ramazan Baygara's brother, Bedirhan Baygara, was reportedly killed by members of another gang. ■