Türkiye: 224 detained in nationwide fraud crackdown across 24 provinces

Authorities in Türkiye have detained 224 suspects in a large-scale fraud operation spanning 24 provinces, the Interior Ministry has said, as investigators probe schemes that allegedly defrauded citizens of 936.581 million lira.

Operations were carried out in coordination with the General Directorate of Security’s Anti-Smuggling and Organised Crime Department and public prosecutors’ offices, Caliber.Az reports, citing Turkish media.

Police units simultaneously raided locations across Adana, Ankara, Antalya, Istanbul, Izmir and other provinces.

The suspects are accused of running a wide range of scams, including promising religious travel arrangements, selling fake or undervalued gold to jewellers, and using so-called “bait-and-switch” schemes in property and vehicle sales.

Authorities also allege they impersonated public officials, forged powers of attorney to facilitate property transactions, issued fake promissory notes, and posted fraudulent job and rental advertisements on social media. Some cases involved promises of visas and residency permits abroad.

In total, 133 of the 224 suspects were remanded in custody by a court, while 91 were placed under judicial supervision.

The Interior Ministry said a significant amount of communication devices, electronic equipment, jewellery, and weapons were seized during the raids.

By Aghakazim Guliyev