Police Türkiye detains Urfi Centinkaya, known as “The Paralyzed,” amid major drug-trafficking investigations
Turkish police have apprehended Urfi Centinkaya, an individual long listed by European authorities as a key figure in large‑scale heroin trafficking. Centinkaya, who operates through criminal networks linked to the Pontevedra region, is accused of coordinating heroin shipments across Western Europe and maintaining strong ties to groups in that province. He was implicated in historic operations in 1999, including operations nicknamed Car and Lokhman, which involved two detainees from Pontevedra.
Intelligence sources indicate that Centinkaya had already been pursued by Interpol for years, and Turkish authorities have now placed him under detention in Istanbul alongside four alleged collaborators. He faces a potential prison sentence of up to 24 years. Authorities describe him as a central architect of the heroin corridor, particularly active in the northwest Iberian Peninsula, with a noted footprint in Pontevedra and extending into Portugal. Allegations suggest he partnered with Iranian smugglers to move narcotics from Afghanistan production zones toward European markets.
He is identified as a principal heroin supplier to Galician clans, with records indicating multiple shipments seized in recent years, estimated at around 1,000 kilograms. In one notable operation, connected to a broader crackdown, approximately 800 kilograms of heroin were seized by authorities in what was described as the largest opium cache ever found in Spain. Convictions linked to this operation involved Galician figures Ramón Yáñez Vázquez de Crecente and Juan Carlos Rodríguez Loureiro from Mos, Pontevedra.
The final blow to the organization led by the so‑called heroin Emir, according to Spanish police sources, came with the Lokhman operation conducted in Madrid in November of the previous year. In that incident, around 200 kilograms of heroin were seized in the Spanish capital, destined for a network of Galician distributors allegedly led by Vigo dealer Antonio Yáñez Vázquez. Centinkaya, who had faced prior arrest, managed to briefly exit prison but was subsequently detained again.
As investigators piece together the full scope of Centinkaya’s network, authorities emphasize the persistent challenges of dismantling international drug trafficking rings that leverage cross‑border links and illicit supply chains. The case underscores ongoing efforts by Turkish, Spanish, and European agencies to curb heroin flows into Western Europe and disrupt the alliances that sustain these criminal operations. [Source: Interpol and regional police briefings]
Centinkaya’s detention marks a significant development in the broader fight against narcotics trafficking across Europe, with investigators highlighting the need for sustained cooperation among nations to prevent the movement of heroin from production regions to consumer markets. [Attribution: European authorities and Interpol]
Legal processes in Istanbul will determine Centinkaya’s fate, with prosecutors outlining the charges and the evidence collected by multinational law enforcement teams. The case continues to unfold as authorities pursue additional leads and potential co‑conspirators connected to the Pontvedra area and beyond, aiming to disrupt the heroin route and the supply chains feeding it.
Throughout the investigations, officials reaffirm their commitment to transparency and public safety, emphasizing the importance of international collaboration in dismantling the networks that fuel drug trafficking and crime across Europe and neighboring regions. [Attribution: Turkish police and European law enforcement]