Heroin gangs blamed for eight murders

At least eight murders in London during the past three years are believed to be linked to the thriving Turkish-controlled heroin trade, one of the country's most senior police officers said yesterday.

Up to 80 per cent of the heroin entering Britain is controlled by Turkish gangs based in the capital and the South-east, according to the National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS). About 20 criminal families and gangs are understood to be responsible for controlling the drugs which are being smuggled into the UK in record amounts.

The new director of NCIS, John Abbot, disclosed that his organisation was becoming increasingly concerned about the heroin trade and Turkish organised crime. He also disclosed that the majority of the 150 criminal gangs that NCIS targets were not run by traditional gangster families, in the tradition of the Krays. He added that the criminal groupings can range from three to 200 members.

After London, the north-west of England, particularly Merseyside and Manchester, had the highest concentration of organised criminals.