Hakan Ayik

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Joseph Hakan Ayik, also known as Hakan Reis (born 31 January 1979) is an Australian drug trafficker who allegedly has an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion. He was described in June 2021 as "Australia's most wanted man".[1][2]

Early life[]

Ayik was born in Australia to parents from Turkey.[3] His father died when he was young, with many family members suffering from drug problems.[4] His cousin and brother later ended up in prison.[4] He studied at the James Cook Boys Technology High School.[4]

Criminal career[]

In the 2000s, Ayik was running a large criminal empire. He held ownership of karaoke bars and brothels in Sydney and Canberra He reportedly travelled to Dubai, India and Hong Kong in luxury.[4] His activities were involved with the Comanchero Motorcycle Club.[4] He is also said to have worked with corrupt customs officials and jail officers in Australia and Tonga.[4] The drug importations he engaged in were estimated to be valued in the hundreds of millions of dollars.[4] This business was organised in co-operation with the Sam Gor Chinese Triad.[4] He was also alleged to have planned to set up drug manufacturing in India.[4] In 2010, Ayik became known as 'the Facebook gangster' after showing off his lifestyle in social media.[4] However, in August that year he was the subject of an Interpol notice, surfacing in Cyprus, where he was arrested but escaped on bail.[4]

Ayik was also known for introducing encrypted communications platform to the criminal world, first Phantom Secure, which was taken down by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Australian Federal Police in 2018.[4] Ayik played an unwitting yet key role in the ANOM sting operation, which involved the distribution of an encrypted messaging app with an intentional backdoor for American and Australian law enforcement. Due to the high reputation he had in the criminal world, he was selected by law enforcement as a vector for distributing the application. He was initially given access to the application by an undercover agent, and, thinking it was legitimate, spread it among his extensive network of criminal contacts.[5][6]

Current life[]

He currently resides in Turkey, where he operates the Kings Cross Hotel in Istanbul[5] and reportedly has altered his facial features through plastic surgery.[1] He has a Dutch wife and children and he has given up his Australian passport according to journalists.[1] He is alleged to have continued associating with other crime figures in Istanbul, as well as to be targeted for his role in spreading the ANOM app.[7][8]He is charged by the FBI in the USA for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act -conspiracy and faces 20 years in prison if convicted.[9]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c McKenzie, Nick; Tozer, Joel; Ilanbey, Sumeyya (4 June 2021). "How we tracked down Australia's most wanted man to his glamorous new life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  2. ^ "Hakan Ayik: The man who accidentally helped FBI get in criminals' pockets". 8 June 2021. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  3. ^ "Hakan Ayik: The man who accidentally helped FBI get in criminals' pockets". BBC News. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Ilanbey, Nick McKenzie, Joel Tozer, Sumeyya (4 June 2021). "How we tracked down Australia's most wanted man to his glamorous new life". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  5. ^ a b Taouk, Maryanne (8 June 2021). "Underworld figure Hakan Ayik unwittingly helped Operation Ironside, the AFP's biggest criminal sting". ABC News. Archived from the original on 9 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  6. ^ "ANOM: Hundreds arrested in massive global crime sting using messaging app". 8 June 2021. Archived from the original on 8 June 2021. Retrieved 8 June 2021 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  7. ^ "Inside Istanbul's Kings Cross Hotel, hide-out of wanted NSW criminals". amp.dailytelegraph.com.au. Retrieved 23 October 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "The Australian fugitive who led his criminal friends into a police trap". ABC News. 8 June 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
  9. ^ https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/fbi-s-encrypted-phone-platform-infiltrated-hundreds-criminal-syndicates-result-massive


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