Turkish gang problem?

(UPDATE  February 2012): http://bloodandproperty.blogspot.com/2012/02/police-watch-watch.html

(UPDATE October 2010): http://bloodandproperty.blogspot.com/2010/10/turkish-crime-turkish-politics.html

Turkish gang problem in Hackney: According to the Islington Gazette a Turkish Gang called "Bombacilar" may have had something to do with an Islington shooting last month and a shooting in Clapton.

Back in 2006 it looked as if the police had stamped out the gang when its leader, Abdullah Baybasin, was jailed for 22 years. The BBC said he started "a gang of young thugs known as the Bombacilar (Bombers) who spread fear throughout the Turkish and Kurdish community.

"On one occasion, a gang of up to 20, armed with samurai swords, metal bars, pool cues and a gun, forced their way into a Turkish cafe in Stoke Newington. One man had his index finger chopped off by the gang and several shots were fired. Shopkeepers, cafe owners and other small businessmen received death threats and some paid up to £10,000 a year to the extortionists."

A judge was not convinced that the problem would end with the leader imprisoned and imposed a "financial reporting order" saying that: "offences where many of the gang members have either never been caught, and others will be released much sooner than the defendant, can be continued from a prison cell...."

Apparently the gangs listed below are in Hackney - although many of the names suggest Tower Hamlets - but following links (from http://irdial.com/blogdial/?p=806 which supplied an updated list of London gangs in September 2008) most of them don't sound similar to this Turkish gang which is included in the list.

7. Hackney
E9 Bang Bang (They have lots of Google)
Haggerston Fields Combined
Holly Street Boys
Hoxton Boys
London Fields
Pembury Estate
Love of Money Crew
Hackney Posse
Springfield Crew
Manor House Crew
August Town Crew
Bombacilar
Legends of Stokie (LOS)
Sea & Mother Square Boys
Tap Dem Crew
Well Street Boys
Yardie Bunch Crew
DNA Boys
L.or.D
Grim Beats Crew
Brick Lane Massive
Cannon Street Rd Posse
Shadwell Massive
Stepney Posse
Bengal Tigers
Bethnal Green Somalians
Devon Road Kruisers
E3 Massive
Elton Man Dem
Bartlett Park
Limehouse Massive
Wilehouse Man Dem
Remand Crew