The Minister of Interior, Mr. Ali Yerlikaya, announced that 65 suspects were detained in the “SİBERGÖZ-41” operations conducted by the Gendarmerie across 13 provinces to tackle “Illegal Betting and Qualified Fraud” crimes.
“We are hot on the trails of those running illegal betting networks and committing sophisticated fraud using information technology. Our cyber patrols are on duty 24/7, both in our land and in cyberspace,” stated Minister Ali Yerlikaya on his social media account. He further added:
“Under the coordination of the Gendarmerie General Command Cyber Crimes Department, the ‘SİBERGÖZ-41’ operations were carried out by the Provincial Gendarmerie Commands in Konya, Adana, Mersin, Ağrı, Kastamonu, Malatya, Antalya, Mardin, Gaziantep, Diyarbakır, Şanlıurfa, Hatay, and Karaman.”
In Konya:
Following investigations by the Konya Provincial Gendarmerie Command Cyber Crimes Department, operations targeting suspects involved in “Qualified Fraud” through organized crime were carried out in Konya, Adana, Mersin, Ağrı, and Kastamonu. These suspects were found to:
– Direct citizens, contacted via social media platforms, to their created websites.
– Deceive citizens by offering “High Returns” for performing tasks like sharing and liking posts on these websites, thereby making illicit gains.
– Attempt to launder these gains through cryptocurrency exchanges.
As a result, 14 suspects were apprehended.
In Mersin:
Investigations by the Mersin Provincial Gendarmerie Command Cyber Crimes Department targeting suspects involved in organized “Illegal Online Betting” operations led to the apprehension of 31 suspects in Mersin, Malatya, and Antalya. These individuals were found to facilitate illegal betting through overseas betting sites, thereby earning illicit gains.
In Malatya and Diyarbakır:
Following investigations by the Cyber Crimes Departments of the Malatya and Diyarbakır Provincial Gendarmerie Commands, operations were conducted in Malatya, Diyarbakır, Adana, Mersin, Mardin, Gaziantep, Şanlıurfa, Hatay, and Karaman. The suspects were found to:
– Post fake ads for “Air Conditioners and Agricultural Equipment” on social media platforms, thereby defrauding citizens and making illicit gains.
A total of 20 suspects were apprehended.
During the operations, authorities seized 5 luxury vehicles and numerous items of jewelry found to be proceeds from the crimes.
Outcomes of the operations include:
– Seizure of 2 unlicensed handguns,
– Seizure of 1 unlicensed shotgun,
– Numerous computers, phones, SIM cards, and portable storage devices,
– Seizure of 4,460 bank/credit cards and a significant amount of foreign and Turkish currency.
“I congratulate our heroic Gendarmerie for conducting these operations. May God protect you. The prayers of our nation are with you,” stated Minister Yerlikaya.
“65 suspects detained in the ‘SİBERGÖZ-41’ operations targeting Illegal Betting and Qualified Fraud crimes across 13 provinces,” tweeted Ali Yerlikaya on May 26, 2024.