65 Suspects Arrested in Nationwide Cyber Operation Targeting Qualified Fraud and Online Child Exploitation
The Minister of Interior, Mr. Ali Yerlikaya, announced the successful conclusion of the “SİBERGÖZ-48” operations, executed by the Gendarmerie in 19 provinces, targeting crimes of “Qualified Fraud and Online Child Exploitation.” A total of 65 suspects, involved in transactions amounting to 11.4 billion TL, were apprehended.
Mr. Yerlikaya emphasized that there would be zero tolerance for those committing qualified fraud using information systems. He highlighted that, similar to land-based patrols, virtual patrols are on duty 24/7 in the cyber realm.
Operation Details
The operations were coordinated by the Gendarmerie General Command’s Cyber Crimes Division and executed by Provincial Gendarmerie Commands in Trabzon, Aydın, Adana, Ankara, Batman, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, İzmir, Mardin, Mersin, Sivas, İstanbul, Iğdır, Giresun, Kastamonu, Muğla, Van, and Zonguldak.
Trabzon Operation
The Cyber Crimes Division of the Trabzon Provincial Gendarmerie Command led an operation centered in Trabzon and extended to Adana, Ankara, Batman, Eskişehir, Gaziantep, Hatay, İzmir, Mardin, Mersin, and Sivas. They arrested 33 suspects who were found to be defrauding citizens by promising high returns in a short time through social media.
Aydın Operation
The Aydın Provincial Gendarmerie Command coordinated an operation in Aydın, İstanbul, Iğdır, and Mardin. They apprehended 9 suspects who created fake social media accounts to steal personal information and fabricate fraudulent legal documents, thus defrauding citizens under the guise of “Legal Fees, Case Closure Fees, or Settlement Fees.”
Online Child Exploitation Operations
In operations conducted by the Cyber Crimes Divisions of the Provincial Gendarmerie Commands in Adana, Ankara, Eskişehir, Giresun, İstanbul, İzmir, Kastamonu, Mersin, Muğla, Van, and Zonguldak, 23 suspects were arrested for storing and sharing sexually explicit photos and videos of children.
During these operations, numerous computers, phones, SIM cards, portable storage devices, and cold crypto wallets were seized.
Mr. Yerlikaya commended the heroic gendarmerie for their efforts and stated, “May God protect you. The prayers of our nation are with you.”
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