Two AFP officers and their families were forced to flee their posts in Türkiye after safety concerns linked to threats from a high-profile fugitive. The relocation was ordered after AFP targeting of the man while he was considered one of Australia’s most-wanted criminals. Four years later, the details emerged in an unrelated court case involving accused Sydney gangster charges. AFP superintendent Marie Andersson told the court the agency received information raising safety and security concerns for AFP members at the Ankara post. An assessment of further information led to a decision to relocate two AFP members and their families out of Türkiye until a security assessment and recommended security measures could be implemented. The officers spent six weeks in another country before it was considered safe for them to return to their Türkiye post. The threats they faced after the crime figure was deported to Australia were not described. The AFP operation to return the fugitive to Australia happened in 2022 during the AFP’s focus on an offshore crime group known as the “Aussie Cartel”, which operated out of Istanbul. Police suspect the group is responsible for large-scale drug shipments into Australia and runs a network of contacts from Asia to Europe. The court material was filed as part of an effort by the accused Sydney gangster to have two murder charges thrown out. He argues the AFP broke the law by having him deported to Australia after the AFP paid Skytraders and Hart International $1 million in 2023. Andersson denied wrongdoing and gave evidence related to her role in the 2023 deportation process, while describing the network of high value targets linked to the Istanbul-based crime figures. The Ankara safety relocation has been confirmed in court filings, but the latest status of the murder case and its outcome were not stated in the provided material.