Ankara, September 18 (QNA) - Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced a major operation against an Israeli-linked international fraud network that swindled foreign nationals through fake foreign exchnge (forex) and cryptocurrency investment schemes, with 175 suspects detained in coordinated raids across Istanbul and Mugla.
"We continue our resolute fight against national and international criminal structures that turn technology and the financial system into instruments of crime.
We are tracking the proceeds of crime and mobilizing all our resources to expose the perpetrators, their connections and their criminal proceeds," Gurlek said in a post on X.
He noted that the network lured victims using customer service representatives who spoke various languages, then presented them with fictitious profits on investment platforms controlled by the suspects to persuade them to deposit more funds.
He added that when victims sought to withdraw their money, the network demanded additional payments under pretexts such as "account freezing" and "taxes," subsequently transferring the deposited funds to bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets abroad.
Furthermore, he explained that the network targeted several countries, particularly in Europe, the Far East, and Africa, with a transaction volume reaching approximately USD 266 million over two years, a figure believed to cover only office expenses and salary payments.
He stated that a synchronized operation launched this morning, involving Interpol units, targeted 42 call centers linked to 28 companies and 239 suspects across 286 locations in Istanbul and Mugla. He confirmed that 175 suspects have been detained so far, while operations and efforts to apprehend the remaining wanted individuals continue.
Last July, Turkish authorities carried out several separate operations against fraud networks linked to investment and forex platforms; one operation in Istanbul resulted in the detention of 54 suspects, while another case saw arrest warrants issued for 25 individuals accused of defrauding victims of hundreds of millions of Turkish Liras. (QNA)