A Turkish mafia boss was executed in his hospital bed Thursday by an unknown individual in Tarragona, Spain, days after he had been ambushed and shot multiple times, local outlets reported.
Catalonia’s Mossos d’Esquadra police force immediately launched an ongoing investigation to determine the circumstances behind the incident, which is currently believed to have been a “settling of scores” between Turkish gangs.
Mekin Büyükdeniz, 35, is reportedly described as the presumptive leader of the Istanbul-based 10 Kardeşler (“Ten Brothers”) criminal organization. He remained hospitalized at Tarragona’s Joan XXIII University Hospital after he had been gravely injured on October 16.
El Mundo reports that, on that day, an unknown individual inside a fast-approaching vehicle opened fire at Büyükdeniz while he walked through the nearby coastal town of Salou, inflicting over a dozen gunshot wounds. Despite the severity of his wounds, Büyükdeniz survived the attack.
On Thursday, an unknown individual who concealed his identity with a hood and a bicycle helmet entered the hospital’s trauma ward and shot at Büyükdeniz, inflicting at least three gunshot wounds and fatally injuring the mafia boss while he was in a room accompanied by his partner. According to Spanish outlets, Büyükdeniz had been recently transferred from the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to an upper floor. While the man remained under strict security measures a the ICUE, security had been reportedly eased after his upstairs transfer.
Ok Diario published security camera footage from the hospital that shows the man walking through the hallways of the facility. The footage also shows the assailant leaving the hospital on a scooter. Per the outlet, the unknown man did not enter the hospital through its main entrance as it was closed at the time. At one point the man “realized” he was being filmed by a camera — which reportedly led to him concealing his face as he continued to walk further inside.
Olga Pané, the local Catalonian government’s Health Minister, reportedly affirmed that there were two security guards inside the hospital at the time of the incident, but they were “attending another critical incident” that, according to Ok Diario remains undetermined if it held any relation with the murder of the Turkish mafia boss. It is reportedly understood that the unknown man exited the hospital through an access door used for taking out the trash.
At press time, local authorities have reportedly not ruled out the possibility that the assailant has already fled Spain.
Both Spanish and Turkish outlets detailed that the “Ten Brothers” mafia gang is attributed with a litany of crimes ranging from drugs and arms trafficking, homicide, and extortion, among others.
El Español, citing unnamed police sources, detailed that the slain mafia boss did not wish to file any complaint after the October 16 ambush and that “was not particularly cooperative” with investigators. According to the Turkish newspaper Sözcü, Büyükdeniz reportedly told healthcare staff and police officers that he “believed his enemies would kill him when they had the opportunity.”
Catalonian police offers have reportedly detected an alarming increase in Turkish mafia activities in the Spanish region over the past two years.
Local outlets noted that investigators are trying to determine if the assassination of Büyükdeniz was a “settling of score” related to series of criminal activities that led to the March arrest of 21 Turkish mobsters involved in drugs and arms trafficking. Of the total, 14 were arrested in Catalonia, four in Andalucía, and three in Sofía, Bulgaria.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.