Torrevieja was the scene of a bloody showdown between two Turkish criminal groups on Sunday evening, which resulted in the death of one of the influential leaders. At around 7pm, shots were heard at the intersection of Pedro Lorca and Rambla Juan Mateo Garcia, shocking residents of the resort town. The victim was 30-year-old Caner Kocer, one of the leaders of the Dalton gang, who was staying in a nearby hotel.
Torrevieja Crime
According to police sources, the attack was caused by a long-simmering conflict between two rival clans from Istanbul - the "Daltons" and the "Caspers". Both groups have been active in the Vega Baja area in recent months - from Torrevieja to Orihuela Costa and Ciudad Quesada, although there had been no serious incidents before.
At the time of the attack, Kocher was walking in one of the restaurant areas of Torrevieja, when three unknown men approached him and opened fire. According to eyewitnesses, at least six shots were fired, two of which hit the target. Despite the busy area, no other casualties were reported, as the terraces of the establishments were closed at the time.
Patrols from the Civil Guard and local police immediately arrived at the scene. SAMU emergency medical personnel attempted to resuscitate the victim, using cardiorespiratory resuscitation and other stabilization measures, but Kocher was officially declared dead at 19:40.
After the attack, the killers fled in a car with French license plates. Thanks to the prompt coordination of security forces, the car was spotted in the area where the Brilla Torrevieja concert was taking place, on Avenida Delfina Viudes. The driver refused to comply with police orders, and an exciting chase through the city streets began.
The car was stopped on the CV-905 highway, near the La Hoya roundabout. One of the suspects was arrested on the spot, while the other two tried to escape on foot, but were soon intercepted by local police near the El Limonar urbanization. According to the police, all three men - about 30 years old - were mercenaries, allegedly hired by the Caspers clan to eliminate Kocher. It is noted that the attackers most likely did not have professional experience, since most of the shots were inaccurate.
Interestingly, the Caspers themselves later posted a photo of Kocher on social networks with the caption in Turkish: "The best hunter in Spain does not miss - his victims know it." This post is considered a kind of confession to organizing the assassination attempt and indicates a thoughtful and symbolic component of the crime.
Torrevieja Murder
During the incident, several stray bullets hit parked cars, but there were no casualties among passers-by. The investigation is currently being led by a team from the Torrevieja Civil Guard's Judicial Police, with the support of the Alicante Crime Laboratory. Law enforcement officers continue to collect evidence and question witnesses in order to establish all the circumstances of the crime and bring the perpetrators to justice.
The death of Caner Kocer was the first high-profile episode in the struggle between Turkish mafia structures in the Valencian Community, but experts do not rule out that this case could provoke a further escalation of the conflict. Local residents are concerned about the increase in violence among foreign criminal groups, whose presence is becoming increasingly noticeable against the backdrop of an influx of migrants and a difficult crime situation in the coastal areas of Spain.