Ismail Abdo, the notorious leader of a gang, known in Sweden as “Jordgubben” (The Strawberry), has reportedly been arrested in Turkey after a large-scale police operation against organised crime. Swedish authorities confirmed on Friday that a Swedish national suspected of serious drug offences and incitement to violent crime was detained in Turkey, but they did not disclose his official name. Later, Swedish media, including SVT and Aftonbladet, reported through police sources that the arrested man was indeed Abdo.
The arrest was made during coordinated raids in five locations across Turkey, including Istanbul, Adana, Mersin, Muğla and Antalya. Nineteen individuals were detained during the operation, which was supported by intelligence from the Swedish and Norwegian police, according to Turkish media reports. Mats Berggren, acting deputy Chief of the Swedish police’s National Operations Department, described the arrest as the result of long-term cooperation between the Turkish and Swedish legal systems and confirmed that the Swedish police had made a significant contribution to the investigation.
Reports also indicate that two other Swedish nationals with leading roles in Abdo’s network were detained during the same raids. Within the Foxtrot criminal network, Abdo’s arrest is considered a significant moment. A source within the group described it as an opportunity for others to take the lead within the gang.
He had already been arrested by the Turks and subsequently released
Ismail Abdo, who holds Turkish citizenship, has long been wanted by Swedish authorities and was listed by Interpol as one of the world’s most wanted criminals earlier this year. He was previously arrested in Turkey in the spring of 2024 during a traffic stop, but was released on bail despite an international manhunt. Since then, Sweden has made several efforts to arrest him and has also considered the possibility of transferring the prosecution to Turkey, given his nationality and residence there.
Abdo is accused of organising some of the most serious criminal activities in Sweden in recent years, including drug trafficking on an industrial scale. He is suspected of being responsible for the transport of 1.3 tonnes of cocaine seized in Nynäshamn in 2024, as part of a wider investigation into international drug trafficking networks.
Mossad has accused him of attacks against Israeli targets
He is also suspected of planning violent crimes, including the murder of Harris Österdahl in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where several Swedes have already been convicted. He has also been accused by the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad of involvement in the May 2024 shooting at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm.
Dispute with the Kurdish Fox
Abdo’s name became infamous in Sweden after a dispute with former ally Rawa Majid, known as the “Kurdish Fox”. Together, they previously controlled much of the Swedish drug trade through the Foxtrot network. However, their relationship dissolved in 2023 after a dispute over drugs, triggering an internal conflict that led to one of the worst waves of gang violence in Swedish history. The conflict escalated further in September 2023, when Abdo’s mother was murdered in Uppsala, triggering a cycle of revenge attacks targeting the families of both men.
Swedish prosecutor Daniel Jonsson, who is leading the investigation into the major cocaine seizure, said he was aware of the arrest but declined to comment on it further.
Swedish authorities are now in contact with Turkish officials about the case, although it is not yet clear whether Abdo will face prosecution in Turkey or be extradited to Sweden.
I. K.
