Turkish authorities nabbed a major Morrocan drug kingpin

Turkish authorities have arrested Mohamed Boulakhrif in Istanbul following what officials described as a tightly coordinated operation targeting organized crime networks.

The 34-year-old suspect, reportedly the subject of an international “red notice,” was tracked for weeks before being detained in the city’s Şişli district. Investigators say he allegedly relied on encrypted communications and operated through transnational trafficking networks stretching across several countries.

Turkish and international media reports describe the arrest as a potentially major breakthrough for investigators, with authorities believing the suspect could hold key information on wider drug smuggling operations linking Europe, North Africa and beyond.

The case adds to a growing list of international crackdowns targeting cross-border cocaine and narcotics networks operating between continents.