Key Points
- London’s Metropolitan Police launched a major blitz targeting crime gangs, including the feared Turkish mafia, to reduce the murder rate to its lowest in a decade.
- Homicides in London dropped to 97 in the year to January 2026, compared with 109 in 2024, marking an 11 per cent reduction.
- This is a significant improvement from 2021, when 133 people were killed, including a record 30 teenagers; only eight teenagers were among the 2025 victims.
- The drop represents the lowest murder rate per capita on record.
- Tactics include increased use of facial recognition technology and school education programmes on the dangers of knife crime.
- Core strategy focuses on disarming and dismantling organised crime groups, such as county lines drug operations reliant on street violence.
- Detective Chief Superintendent Rick Sewart identified Turkish heroin trafficking group Bombacilar (the Bombers) and rivals Tottenham Boys as key targets.
- Turkish gangs pose the number one firearms threat to the UK and London, with police collaborating with Europol and the National Crime Agency.
- One operation starting in 2024 recovered 138 firearms and 2,500 rounds of ammunition from a Turkish organised crime group importing guns.
- Historical feud: In 2012, Ali Armagan, 32, head of a Turkish crime family, was shot dead outside Turnpike Lane station by rivals.
- Ongoing feuds between Bombacilar and Tottenham Boys involve heroin supply in north and east London; police have made significant inroads.
- County lines operations exploit teenagers to sell drugs, leading to confrontations, injuries, and deaths; not always linked to larger groups like Turkish gangs.
- Metro joined a dawn raid on Friday under Operation Yamata at a north London home of a county lines suspect linked to the ‘Adam line’.
- Over 20 officers used an ‘enforcer’ tool to break down the door; the 35-year-old man was charged with supply of heroin and crack cocaine.
- Tactics include intercepting county lines, closing numerous drug lines across the capital, and pinpointing dealers and groups.
North London, Metropolitan Police, January 13, 2026 – London’s Metropolitan Police has launched an intensive crackdown on organised crime gangs, including the notorious Turkish mafia, driving the capital’s homicide rate to its lowest level in a decade, as revealed by a senior detective.
What Triggered the Blitz on Crime Gangs?
The Metropolitan Police’s operation targets groups fuelling violence on London’s streets, with a particular focus on disarming organised crime networks. As reported by Detective Chief Superintendent Rick Sewart in an interview with Metro, the strategy centres on dismantling gangs such as the Turkish heroin trafficking group Bombacilar, known as the Bombers, and their rivals, the Tottenham Boys. Sewart stated: ‘The Turkish gangs are the number one threat to the UK and London in terms of firearms. We have been working with Europol and the National Crime Agency on the supply of firearms into Europe and the UK.’
This multi-agency effort has yielded tangible results, including one operation launched in 2024 that recovered 138 firearms and 2,500 rounds of ammunition from a Turkish organised crime group importing weapons into the country. Sewart emphasised: ‘We have a clear focus on organised crime groups who are bringing firearms and supplying those street gangs.’ These actions form part of a broader blitz across the capital aimed at slashing the murder rate, which fell to 97 homicides in the year to January 2026 from 109 in 2024—an 11 per cent drop.
The initiative also addresses county lines drug operations, which exploit vulnerable teenagers to peddle narcotics, often sparking deadly rivalries. Sewart noted that these lines, while not always tied to larger syndicates like the Turkish gangs, send young people onto the streets, leading to confrontations, injuries, and fatalities. He said: ‘The tactics have included intercepting county lines operations. We have closed a significant number of drugs lines across the capital. We have been able to pinpoint those who are dealing drugs across the capital and who the groups are.’
How Has the Murder Rate Dropped So Dramatically?
London’s homicide figures have plummeted to the lowest per capita rate on record, a stark contrast to the peak in 2021 when 133 lives were lost, including a record 30 teenagers. In 2025, only eight teenagers featured among the victims, highlighting the success of targeted interventions. The 11 per cent reduction from 2024’s 109 murders underscores the impact of the police’s multifaceted approach.
Key tactics include the expanded deployment of facial recognition technology to identify and apprehend suspects swiftly. Additionally, educational programmes in schools warn children about the horrors of knife crime, aiming to deter youth involvement from an early age. However, the cornerstone remains the disruption of organised crime groups, particularly those like county lines operatives whose models thrive on street violence.
Detective Chief Superintendent Rick Sewart credited these combined efforts for the decline, telling Metro that significant progress has been made against Turkish groups operating in north and east London. He revealed: ‘There are feuds which have taken place between significant crime groups and we have seen that particularly in relation to Turkish organised crime across north and east London between groups like the Bombacilar and Tottenham Boys who supply heroin. But we have made significant inroads into them.’
Which Specific Gangs Are the Primary Targets?
The Turkish mafia, exemplified by Bombacilar and Tottenham Boys, tops the Metropolitan Police’s priority list due to their dominance in firearms trafficking and heroin distribution. These groups have long feuded violently, with a notorious incident in 2012 when Ali Armagan, 32, head of a Turkish crime family, was gunned down in his custom Audi limousine outside Turnpike Lane station in north London by rivals.
Sewart highlighted the international dimension, noting collaborations with Europol and the National Crime Agency to stem the flow of guns into Europe and the UK. The recovery of 138 firearms and 2,500 rounds of ammunition in one operation alone demonstrates the scale of the threat posed by these networks. ‘One operation alone which started in 2024 has helped us recover 138 firearms and 2,500 rounds of ammunition from a particular organised crime group who has been importing guns into that’s a Turkish organised crime group,’ Sewart told Metro.
County lines gangs, though distinct, also face relentless pressure. These operations exploit teenagers, dispatching them to sell drugs and clashing with rivals, often with fatal consequences. Sewart explained: ‘County lines operations, which were not necessarily connected with larger organised crime groups like the Turkish gangs, were exploiting young teenagers. He said they were sending them onto the streets to sell drugs and were often coming into confrontation with rivals from other gangs and sometimes being injured or even killed.’
What Does a Typical Police Raid Look Like?
Metro journalists witnessed a dawn raid on Friday as part of Operation Yamata, targeting a county lines suspect in north London. The operation focused on shutting down the ‘Adam line,’ with more than 20 officers surrounding the man’s home. They breached the door using a tool known as an ‘enforcer,’ leading to the arrest of the 35-year-old suspect, who has been charged with the supply of heroin and crack cocaine.
This raid exemplifies the Met’s proactive stance, with Sewart affirming the effectiveness of such interventions. ‘We have closed a significant number of drugs lines across the capital,’ he said, underscoring the police’s ability to identify and dismantle these networks.
The operation’s success ties into the broader decline in violence, as fewer firearms and drugs flood the streets, reducing opportunities for deadly confrontations. By prioritising high-threat groups like the Turkish mafia and county lines, the Met aims to sustain this momentum.
Why Focus on Turkish Gangs and County Lines?
Turkish organised crime groups represent the foremost firearms menace in London, supplying weapons to street-level gangs and perpetuating cycles of violence. Their heroin trade, centred in areas like Tottenham, has sparked enduring rivalries, as seen in the 2012 murder of Ali Armagan.
Meanwhile, county lines exploit youth vulnerability, using them as couriers in drug sales that frequently erupt into turf wars. Sewart’s insights reveal a comprehensive strategy blending technology, education, and direct action to neutralise these threats, achieving an unprecedented drop in murders.
