A Turkish national extradited from Dubai to Turkey on Saturday has been accused of holding a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport, according to social media reports that have drawn widespread attention and official scrutiny in Freetown.
The suspect, identified as Abdullah Alp Üstün, also known as Don Vito, was flown to Turkey under an Interpol Red Notice over alleged links to international cocaine trafficking, judicial bribery and other organized crimes. Turkish Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya confirmed the extradition on social media platform X, posting photos and videos of Üstün’s transfer from Dubai.
Sierra Leonean commentator and former minister Dr. Sylvia Olayinka Blyden said on Saturday that Üstün had been mistaken by some for another European national, Eric Schroeder, a German citizen arrested two years earlier in a separate Turkish operation. She cautioned against misinformation, emphasizing the need for accuracy in identifying suspects.
“Schroeder was arrested in 2023 in a high-profile televised operation, while Üstün was extradited today from Dubai to Turkey,” Blyden wrote on Facebook. “It is important we remain factual on such matters.”
According to credible reports , Üstün is married to Nadia Alla, the sister of Hanane Alla — the estranged wife of Dutch drug baron Jos Leijdekkers, known as Bolle Jos. Leijdekkers is wanted in several European countries for alleged involvement in billion-dollar cocaine trafficking networks.
The connection between the two men, who are reportedly brothers-in-law, has intensified scrutiny on how Üstün may have obtained a Sierra Leonean diplomatic passport. The Sierra Leone government has not confirmed the existence of such a document but said it is investigating the reports.
Foreign Minister Timothy Musa Kabba earlier stated that there is “no evidence” to confirm Üstün held any Sierra Leonean passport, diplomatic or otherwise. He pledged that any such claim “will be fully verified” if formally presented to the government.
But Dr. Blyden called the unfolding events a “national embarrassment” and urged public discussion on strengthening Sierra Leone’s diplomatic integrity and combating transnational drug networks.
The government has said it will provide an update once investigations into the alleged passport are complete.
This remains a developing story.
