One of Sweden’s most wanted criminals, Ismail Abdo, a high-profile leader of the Rumba gang, has been arrested in Turkey, Swedish prosecutors confirmed on Friday.
Abdo, a 35-year-old dual Swedish-Turkish national nicknamed "The Strawberry," faces multiple drug trafficking charges and has been on Interpol’s red notice list since last year. Swedish authorities allege he orchestrated serious crimes—including drug operations and violent offenses—from abroad.
The arrest came during a sweeping
police operation in Turkey, where officers detained 19 suspects and seized over
a tonne of narcotics, according to state broadcaster TRT. Authorities also
confiscated assets worth 1.5 billion Turkish lira (£27.8m), including luxury
cars, real estate, and bank accounts. Arrest warrants remain active for 21
additional suspects, with four still at large.
A Bloody Gang Feud
Abdo’s capture marks a significant development in Sweden’s escalating gang violence, fueled by a bitter rivalry between his Rumba network and the rival Foxtrot gang, led by his former ally, Rawa Majida. The feud turned even deadlier in 2023 when Abdo’s mother was murdered in her Uppsala home, sparking retaliatory attacks.
The surge in gang-related
killings—often in public spaces—has forced Sweden to deploy military support
for police and shaken the nation’s image as a safe haven. A 2023 police report
estimated 14,000 active gang members in Sweden, with another 48,000 linked to
organized crime.
Extradition Hurdles Ahead
This isn’t Abdo’s first arrest in Turkey. In 2024, he was briefly detained during a traffic stop but released on bail, frustrating Swedish efforts to extradite him. His Turkish citizenship could further complicate proceedings, despite the Interpol warrant.
The arrest delivers a symbolic victory for Sweden’s government, which vowed to crack down on gang crime after taking office in 2022. However, the broader crisis persists, with gangs even allegedly recruited by foreign actors—including Iran, according to Sweden’s security service (Sapo). Last October, a 13-year-old boy opened fire outside an Israeli tech company in Stockholm, part of a wave of attacks targeting Israeli and Jewish interests.
As Sweden pushes for Abdo’s
extradition, the case underscores the international reach of its gang
crisis—and the challenges in dismantling it.