Drug lords in Turkey have gained control over 20% of the cocaine trafficking reaching the Middle East countries, a research conducted by Insight Crime, an organization focused on organized crime in Colombia said, according to VOA Turkish.
The report highlights Turkey’s increasing role in intercontinental cocaine trade, attributing it to the country’s well-established drug infrastructure and connections with criminal organizations. With Colombia being the epicenter of international cocaine smuggling, responsible for over 1,200 tons of annual production (62% of global cocaine production.) the study sheds light on the shifting dynamics of global drug trafficking.
The study’s, author, Alessandro Ford, believes that the recent increase in the amount of cocaine reaching Turkey as a destination in Latin America is due to Turkish drug traffickers, well-known for their involvement in heroin trade to Europe, shifting their focus to cocaine due to the decrease in opium prices.
EXCELLENT OPPORTUNUTIES FOR COCAINE TRADE
“Turkey offers excellent opportunities for cocaine trade due to its existing drug infrastructure, experience gained from heroin trade, and connections with criminal organizations. The only thing missing for the cocaine route was Latin America’s ‘powdered sugar’,” Ford said, in an interview with VOA Turkish.
While Turkish mafia benefits from the advantage of drug distribution in Europe thanks to the Turkish diaspora residing there, Ford mentioned that the largest cocaine importer in Europe is the Ndrangheta mafia, based in Italy. He also highlighted the struggle of Turkish criminal organizations against Spanish, Dutch, and Irish groups.
“Our research indicates that Turkish drug traffickers have a greater advantage and market share in the Middle East compared to Europe. Approximately 20% of the cocaine destined for the Middle East is under the control of Turkish groups,” Ford explained.
Officials from Insight Crime, interviewed by VOA Turkish, stated that their interest in Turkey began with the U.S. ban on gold and oil trade with Venezuela, and they further deepened their investigations following allegations of cocaine shipments to Turkey and the involvement of the ruling AKP in drug trafficking, as claimed by Sedat Peker, a Turkish organized crime figure.
Despite being the largest cocaine exporter in the world, Colombia experienced a rare occurrence when 4.9 tons of cocaine, intended to be sent to Turkey in a single shipment, were intercepted in 2020. The expert noted that such a large quantity is likely to be distributed among several criminal organizations.
“We estimate that almost all of the seized cocaine was intended to be transported to Europe, the Caucasus, and the Middle East via Turkey, with only a small amount intended for the domestic market,” said Ford, adding that cocaine destined for Turkey mainly arrives in Europe by sea and to the Middle East by land.
According to Insight Crime’s research, the majority of cocaine shipments to Turkey originate from Colombia, Ecuador, and Panama. However, Brazil and Venezuela are also significant hubs for cocaine shipments to Turkey, both through air and sea routes.
While Albanian gangs in Ecuador, Serbian groups in Brazil, and Italian mafia in Costa Rica are known to engage in cocaine trade in Latin America, Alessandro Ford stated that they have not witnessed direct involvement of Turkish criminal organizations in Colombia or other Latin American countries.
Gerçek News