A Turkish mafia leader shot dead in Tarragona hospital

Mekin Büyükdeniz, aged 35, died after being shot at least three times in the Joan XXIII University Hospital. The Mossos d'Esquadra are investigating the crime as a settling of scores.

The alleged leader of the criminal organisation The 10 Brothers, based in Istanbul, Mekin Büyükdeniz, aged 35, died in the early hours of Thursday after being shot at least three times in the Joan XXIII University Hospital in Tarragona. According to elmundo.es, this crime marks the ninth case of gun-related death recorded this year in Catalonia.

The victim was admitted to the Traumatology area, and the shots were fired in the presence of his partner. Two weeks earlier, on October 16, he had already survived a first attack in Salou, when a car shot at him in an area near Plaza de Europa, not far from the provincial capital.

That attack left him with over a dozen bullet wounds, mainly in his legs. After being taken to the hospital, he spent several days in the semi-critical unit under permanent police custody. That same week he had been moved to a regular ward, and the surveillance measures had been reduced, with some patrols outside during certain time slots.

Turkish media have identified the victim as a leader of a gang involved in drug trafficking, illegal arms sales, extortion, and homicides. His group suffered a police operation earlier this year that resulted in the arrest of 42 members.

The Mossos d'Esquadra are analysing footage from the hospital cameras, which show the alleged perpetrator walking down a corridor with his head covered by a hood and a helmet. The exterior images later show him leaving on an electric scooter. The main hypothesis is that he accessed through Emergency and went up to the fifth floor.

Investigators are examining whether the crime is related to the Tracia operation, in which 21 people were arrested in March for drug and war arms trafficking, coordinated by Europol. Of those arrests, 14 took place in Catalonia. The police are also considering that the perpetrator may be a hitman who has already left the country.