Questions raised over why it took cops more than two weeks to detain Istanbul nightclub attacker who was hiding in flat just 25 MILES from the scene
Abdulkadir Masharipov was arrested while hiding at his friend's house
TURKISH cops have arrested the Istanbul nightclub attack suspect in a sensational raid two weeks after the bloody massacre which left 39 dead.
But questions are bound to be asked about why it took authorities so long to catch Abdulkadir Masharipov when he was found in a house 25 miles from where the brutal New Year’s Eve assault was carried out.
The suspect was reportedly found at his friend’s house in a council estate in Istanbul’s Esenyurt district.
Four other people were detained during the police swoop on the property which would suggest that the alleged fanatic was being protected.
Following the senseless attack at the exclusive Reina nightclub, Hurriyet reported that Masharipov had received support from an ISIS terror cell comprised of Uzbek nationals.
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Uzbek fighters have become deeply embedded in ISIS and have fought alongside the Taliban in Afghanistan.
They are also said to have secret outposts in some major Russian cities as well as having ties to Muslim extremists in China.
Turkish Deputy Prime Minister Numan Kurtulmus has said the nightclub attack had been carried out professionally with the help of an ‘intelligence organisation’.
He did not name the organisation suspected of being involved.
Hurriyet newspaper said the alleged gunman’s wife and one-year old daughter were caught in a police operation on January 12.
Police established his whereabouts four or five days ago, but delayed the raid so they could monitor his movements and contacts, NTV reported.
Masharipov reportedly resisted arrest and was detained in front of his four-year-old son, according to reports.
The television channel also broadcast footage showing plain-clothed police taking away a man in a white top and sweat pants, forcing his head down.
The station said the images showed the gunman’s friend being taken to a police vehicle.
Hundreds of people were gathered at the swanky Reina nightclub to celebrate the end of a tumultuous 2016 only to become the first victims of 2017.
Most of the dead in the attack on the upscale club were foreign nationals from the Middle East.
The gunman reportedly left Reina in a taxi after leaving another 69 people wounded.
According to reports, terrified partygoers leapt into the freezing waters of the Bosphorous river to escape the horrific scenes.
It was initially reported that the killer entered the nightclub wearing a Santa hat, based on early CCTV footage of the attack.
But the Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildrim has said there was no truth to the reports.
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