The Arifs are a South East

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

-based

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

criminal organization Organized crime (or organised crime) is a category of transnational, national, or local groupings of highly centralized enterprises run by criminals to engage in illegal activity, most commonly for profit. While organized crime is generally th ...

heavily involved in armed robbery, drug trafficking and other

racketeering Racketeering is a type of organized crime in which the perpetrators set up a coercive, fraudulent, extortionary, or otherwise illegal coordinated scheme or operation (a "racket") to repeatedly or consistently collect a profit. Originally and of ...

-related activities within London's underworld since the late 1960s. Following the downfall of the

Kray brothers Ronald Kray (24 October 193317 March 1995) and Reginald Kray (24 October 19331 October 2000) were identical twin brothers, gangsters and convicted criminals. They were the foremost perpetrators of organised crime in the East End of London, Eng ...

, the Arifs were one of several criminal organisations who took control of the London underworld including the

Clerkenwell crime syndicate The Clerkenwell Crime Syndicate, also known as the Adams Family or the A-Team, is a criminal organisation, allegedly one of the most powerful in the United Kingdom. Media reports have credited them with wealth of up to £200 million. Backgroun ...

and the

Brindle family Brindle is a coat coloring pattern in animals, particularly dogs, cattle, guinea pigs, cats, and, rarely, horses. It is sometimes described as "tiger-striped", although the brindle pattern is more subtle than that of a tiger's coat. Brindle t ...

with whom they were engaged in a highly publicised gangland war during the 1990s. The Arifs themselves were considered the leading crime family in the London area throughout the late 1980s before the arrest and conviction of most of its leadership, including most of the Arif family members, for armed robbery and drug-related offences in early 1990s. In 2004, the ''Irish Daily Mirror'' called the Arifs "Britain's No 1 crime family." This was also said by some media outlets in 2016.

History

They are Turkish-Cypriot in origin have been operating in South-East London since the 1960s. After the demise of the Kray brothers, several criminal enterprises attempted to move into the vacuum left behind. The Arifs are known to be, or to have been involved in racketeering, drug smuggling, armed robbery and murders. The gang is led by brothers Deniz, Mehmet and Doğan Arif but more brothers are involved in the various operations. In November 1990, Deniz and Mehmet, wearing Ronald Reagan masks and wielding shotguns, were arrested in

Woodhatch Reigate ( ) is a town in Surrey, England, around south of central London. The settlement is recorded in Domesday Book in 1086 as ''Cherchefelle'' and first appears with its modern name in the 1190s. The earliest archaeological evidence for huma ...

(Reigate, Surrey) as they attempted to rob a

Securicor Securicor plc was one of the United Kingdom's largest security businesses. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but merged with Group 4 Falck in 2004. History The Company was founded by Edward Shortt, a former Liberal Cabinet Minister, ...

van. Mehmet Arif, who was driving a pick-up used in the robbery, was shot by police, but survived. His passenger, Kenneth Baker, was armed with a sawn-off shotgun, and was shot dead as he attempted to open fire on officers.William Donaldson, Brewer's Rogues, Villains and Eccentrics: An A-Z of Roguish Britons Through the Ages. Bekir Arif, 52, known as "The Duke", one of seven brothers in the family, was convicted of conspiracy to supply 100 kg of

heroin Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a potent opioid mainly used as a recreational drug for its euphoric effects. Medical grade diamorphine is used as a pure hydrochloride salt. Various white and brow ...

worth £12.5 million in 1999 and given a 23-year term of imprisonment. Dogan Arif, also jailed for drug smuggling, is said to be controlling the family fortune from prison. Their family is said to maintain ties with relations in Turkey who oversee shipments arriving in mainland Europe.

*''Murder of a good man; A drug gang had been cheated and someone had to pay. It cost an innocent victim his life''. Daily Record. 03 Dec 2007 *''Drugs gang 'godfather' is facing 20 years' jail''. Evening Standard. 04 Nov 2004 *''Busted; Exclusive Top Irish Drug Dealer Is Held In Eur2M Cocaine Raid''. The Mirror. 07 Apr 2004 *''Gun Culture: Gun Gangs Of The Capital; Opinion''. The Independent. 21 Sept 2003 *''End Of A Long Line Of Criminals''. The Scotsman. 3 May 2002 *''Perry police quiz gangsters''. Evening Standard. 30 Nov 2001 *''Bands of brothers; London's web of crime''. Time Out. 28 Nov 2001 *''Heroin mastermind jailed''. Western Morning News. 22 May 1999 *''Cypriot 'mafia' brother jailed for £12m drug plot''. Evening Standard. 21 May 1999 *''Just when you thought london was a safer place''. Evening Standard. 23 Sept 1998 *''Hitman Brought In To End Feud Jailed; 15-year minimum sentence imposed. Tangled London gangland war cost eight lives, Old Bailey told''. The Guardian. 25 Mar 1997 *''Gangland hitman came from Dublin''. The Independent. 22 Sept 1995 *''Caution: you are about to enter gangland Britain; British gangs are disorganised, crude and parochial. Triads, Yardies and Mafiosi are not. me They're here. And their methods are catching.'' The Independent. 21 Aug 1995 *''Men who run Crime UK''. Sunday Times. 15 Jan 1995 *''All in the family: The British way of crime''. The Observer. 11 July 1993 *''Murder in a tight little manor; Two men were shot to death in a south London pub last weekend, but witnesses are thin on the ground.

Cal McCrystal Cal McCrystal is an Irish theatre director and actor. He is the brother of the journalist Damien McCrystal and the son of the journalist and writer Cal McCrystal. Following an early career acting in theatre, television, radio plays and commercia ...

unpicks the gangland ties that blind''. The Independent. 11 Aug 1991 *''Death at the Bell''. Sunday Times. 11 Aug 1991 *''Police step up fight to curb gangland killings''. The Independent. 06 Aug 1991

References

{{reflist Organizations established in the 1980s 1980s establishments in England Organised crime gangs of London British people of Turkish Cypriot descent

History

See also

Further reading

References