Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya made a statement this morning regarding a drug operation held in İstanbul from the X platform.
Yerlikaya said, "Shaun Monaghan, the head of the 'Armed Organized Crime Syndicate' engaged in drug trafficking in the North East region of the UK, wanted by Interpol Red Notice, has been captured in İstanbul through the KAFES-16 Operation."
A Red Notice had been issued for "Drug Trafficking, Armed Assault, and Illegal Possession of Firearms/Ammunition" charges regarding Monaghan.
“Captured in a hotel in Fatih”
Yerlikaya stated, "Shaun Monaghan, the leader of an armed organized crime syndicate, was identified to be residing in İstanbul Fatih by the İstanbul Narcotics, Intelligence, Immigration Smuggling, and Border Gates Branch Directorates. Monaghan arrived in our country on October 25, 2023, and a Red Notice was issued about him on December 4, 2023. He was apprehended on December 5, 2023, at a hotel in Fatih within one day of the notice."
Additionally, Yerlikaya listed the charges brought against Shaun Monaghan in the UK:
- Distributing high amounts of cocaine and heroin in the UK through the armed organization he led,
- Illegal arms trade,
- Committing armed assault, armed threats, and armed robbery,
- The organization was found to possess numerous long-barreled and pistol-type firearms and ammunition.
#İngiltere tarafından,
— Ali Yerlikaya (@AliYerlikaya) December 6, 2023
🟥İnterpol Kırmızı Bülteni ile aranan İngiltere'nin Kuzey Doğu bölgesinde uyuşturucu madde ticareti yapan "Silahlı Organize Suç Örgütünün" Elebaşı olan Shaun MONAGHAN İstanbul’da yapılan “KAFES -16” Operasyonuyla yakalandı❗️
Aziz Milletimizin Bilmesini… pic.twitter.com/F4p6HhfFGD
Cocaine production and trafficking
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) highlighted a significant increase in both cocaine supply and demand worldwide in its 2023 World Drug Report. It emphasized that this trend is likely to encourage the development of new markets beyond traditional borders.
According to the report, the coca plant, the source of cocaine, is cultivated in an area of 315.5 hectares, and a record-level cocaine production of 2,304 tons was reported in 2021.
While the global cocaine market remains concentrated in the United States, Western and Central Europe, it is rapidly spreading in developing countries in Africa, Asia, and Southeast Europe.
The majority of global illegal opium production occurs in a limited number of countries, primarily in Afghanistan. In 2022, 80% of the global production, totaling 7,800 tons, was produced in Afghanistan. Myanmar followed with 795 tons, and Mexico with 504 tons.
Ninety-five percent of global opium is produced in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Mexico, while the coca plant is cultivated in Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia.
(AS/PE)
