Daltons trial in Berlin: defendant demanded €200,000 and fired shots at hairdressing salon
An alleged member of the Turkish gang "Daltons" is standing trial in Berlin on charges of extortion, use of a firearm and threats against an insurance salesman.
Extortion trial in Berlin: defendant denies Daltons membership
Ipek D. sits on the accused's bench on Monday morning in courtroom 806 of Berlin's Tiergarten district court. The 34-year-old, who grew up in Berlin-Kreuzberg, is alleged to have extorted an insurance salesman in the name of the violent group "Daltons" and threatened him with death. This is reported by the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
D. is wearing a pink shirt and black suit trousers. His defence lawyer describes him as someone with "extensive knowledge" of shootings in Kreuzberg. D. was assigned female at birth and has been held in a women's correctional facility since his arrest in late January. He is alleged to have worked as a so-called "cocaine taxi driver" – without vocational training.
Allegations: death threats, shots fired at hairdressing salon
The prosecution accuses D. of initially contacting victim Y. through a friend and demanding a payment of €200,000. If Y. did not comply with the demand, he would be killed. In doing so, D. stated that he belonged to the "Daltons" – a reference that, according to the indictment, was deliberately intended to have a threatening effect.
In January 2026, D. repeated the demand via video call. Y. refused: D. would not get "a single cent". In a further call, D. allegedly then emphasised that the Daltons were internationally networked and would "get" Y. – either he would pay or they would kill him.
A few days later, in the night of 20 to 21 January 2026, the defendant fired at least one shot at a hairdressing salon in Berlin-Neukölln between 0:18 and 1:00, where Y.'s wife works. The shop window was damaged. Y. then filed a report with the police. The prosecution is charging D. with coercion, extortionate robbery, violation of the weapons law and property damage; at least one other unknown perpetrator is alleged to have been involved in the act.
Who are the "Daltons"?
Behind the name "Daltons" – or in Turkish "Daltonlar" – lies a violent mafia group from the Turkish-Kurdish milieu with roots in the poorer districts of Istanbul. There are already several offshoots that have given themselves names from the comic world: "Caspers", "Şirinler" (Smurfs) or the Daltons. Particularly young men between 15 and 25 years of age join the gang. Experts already speak of a "Gen Z mafia" that is spreading primarily in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin.
Defendant: "I have zero connection to the Daltons"
D. himself paints a different picture in court. He had known Y. for more than ten years, the two had been friends – "He was not my boss, but like a brother to me." At some point D. had worked for Y., but in illegal drug trafficking: as a cocaine taxi driver, he had received 20 per cent of Y.'s proceeds. Moreover, Y. had promised him around €100,000.
The break between the two occurred after D. wanted to get engaged and Y. refused to give him money. Subsequently, D. himself was threatened – so that he would not disclose information about Y.'s alleged drug business. When asked directly by his defence lawyer whether he was a member of the Daltons, D. answered clearly: "I have zero connection to the Daltons."
D. also described his biography: his father was imprisoned when D. was seven years old. He lived for a time with his grandmother, completed an apprenticeship as a shoe salesman and subsequently worked in vehicle valeting. However, as a Turkish citizen, he did not receive regular work authorisation.
Judge loses track
The judge visibly had difficulty following the defendant's statements. D. spoke at times at high speed, jumped between dates and people and repeatedly used the Turkish-Arabic filler word "yani" ("that is"). He mentioned a "Fero" at one moment, then an "Aras" who was alleged to belong to a Turkish group, then again an "Özcan" who had also worked as a driver for Y. "I cannot process so much information", said the judge.
Witness: "We are broken. I have lost everything."
After a delay of several hours, the victim Y. finally entered the courtroom as a witness. His wife was unavailable – she had to look after their young child. Y. described how the Daltons had repeatedly demanded money from him and threatened him: "If I don't pay, they'll shoot me." He was to be careful, the "boys" from the Daltons were on the move: "They are dangerous."
Regarding his relationship with the defendant, who sat beside him in the courtroom, Y. made only brief comments: "You know each other, that's all." D. had explicitly spoken in the name of the Daltons and demanded €200,000. The threat had pursued him all the way to Turkey; for three months he had been in hiding. Family members had not been able to visit him during that time. "We are broken. I have lost my company. I have lost everything," said Y.
The trial will continue on Wednesday. The injured party is again called as a witness.
Source: Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung