Turkish police arrested a Chechen national on Thursday (Ankara local time) wanted by Interpol and Europol for alleged membership in the Daesh terrorist group, reports Daily Sabah.
The suspect, identified by his initials B.E., was apprehended in Istanbul’s Başakşehir district following an operation ordered by the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office. According to a memo sent to the Turkish Police Department on December 16, B.E. had been involved in an armed robbery with several accomplices, stealing 400,000 rubles ($4,000) and other items. The memo also indicated that B.E. had joined Daesh and was potentially involved in espionage activities, with suspicions he was hiding in Turkey.
Turkey has long been a target of Daesh attacks, including the 2017 nightclub shooting that killed dozens. Following the collapse of the self-declared "caliphate" in 2019, some Daesh members have reportedly settled in Turkey, operating under the Daesh-Khorasan Province (Daesh-K) network. This group continues efforts to recruit new foreign nationals and develop innovative methods for its activities, despite ongoing counterterrorism operations by Turkish authorities.
The National Intelligence Organization (MIT) successfully disrupted Daesh's recruitment and logistics operations after a January attack on a church in Istanbul. Since June 2023, Turkish authorities have arrested over 3,600 individuals suspected of ties to Daesh.
Daesh remains a significant terrorist threat to Turkey, which was one of the first nations to officially designate the group as a terrorist organization in 2013. In December 2023, Turkish security forces detained 32 suspects planning attacks on churches, synagogues, and the Iraqi Embassy. Terrorist organizations such as Daesh, PKK, and YPG continue to operate through networks within Turkey.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
