One of the most notorious figures in the Turkish underworld—reportedly a high-ranking member of the Duran gang, a criminal organization recently linked to a shooting involving Greek intelligence officers in Thessaloniki—was among those arrested in a sweeping police operation early Friday, June 27, 2025.
Greek authorities confirmed that the man, aged 31 and wanted in Turkey under five separate arrest warrants, was taken into custody at a residence in Halkidiki. A second Turkish national, aged 42 and the subject of a Red Notice issued by Turkish authorities in connection with a homicide case, was apprehended at a home in Palaio Faliro, a northern Athens suburb.
According to reports, the operation was spearheaded by Greece’s Organized Crime Division, often referred to as the “Greek FBI,” and was based on actionable intelligence regarding the movements of Turkish mafia members on Greek soil.
In total, seven Turkish nationals were arrested, and another 12 were brought in for questioning during coordinated raids in the broader Athens area, Thessaloniki, and Halkidiki.
Police executed nine house searches during the operation. Five of the detainees were found together in a central Athens residence, where officers reportedly discovered small quantities of raw cannabis and a folding knife—both seized as evidence.
The 31-year-old, identified only by his initials A.K., has already been transferred to Diavata Prison, in Thessaloniki, under a Temporary Detention Order issued by the Thessaloniki Court of Appeals.
Turkish authorities are seeking his extradition to face charges including abduction, property damage, physical assault, weapons trafficking and possession, and threats with a firearm—offenses that also constitute criminal acts under Greek law.
