Massive Cybercrime Operation Across 13 Provinces in Turkey: 24 Suspects Arrested
#CyberCrime #Turkey #LawEnforcement #OnlineFraud #OperationSIBERGOZ50 #AliYerlikaya #SocialMediaSafety
In a major crackdown on cybercrime, Turkey’s Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya has announced the arrest of 24 suspects involved in various online crimes across 13 provinces. The operation, named “SIBERGOZ-50,” was led by the Gendarmerie and targeted “Qualified Fraud, Online Child Pornography, Sexual Harassment, and Illegal Betting” offenses.
“Just as we patrol on land, our virtual patrols are on duty 24/7 in the cyber realm,” stated Minister Yerlikaya in a social media post. The operation was coordinated by the Gendarmerie General Command’s Cyber Crimes Department and conducted by Provincial Gendarmerie Commands in Elazig, Nigde, Edirne, Adana, Diyarbakir, Mersin, Gaziantep, Istanbul, Amasya, Ankara, Izmir, Kastamonu, and Mugla.
In Elazig, following efforts by the Provincial Gendarmerie Command’s Cyber Crimes Branch, operations centered in Adana, Diyarbakir, and Mersin led to the apprehension of 11 suspects. They were found to be defrauding individuals by offering “Work from Home Soap Packing” schemes in exchange for money on social media platforms.
In Nigde, similar efforts resulted in operations in Gaziantep and Mersin, where seven suspects were arrested. They had been blackmailing individuals by communicating through social media, obtaining inappropriate images, and threatening to send these to their families unless paid.
In Edirne, an operation also involving Istanbul and Amasya led to the arrest of two suspects who defrauded people by promising to send exclusive photos in exchange for money.
Additionally, the Provincial Gendarmerie Commands in Ankara, Izmir, Kastamonu, and Mugla arrested four suspects for crimes including sexual harassment, sharing obscene content, and promoting illegal betting via social media platforms.
Numerous electronic devices, including computers, phones, SIM cards, flash drives, and bank/credit cards, were confiscated during these operations.
“I congratulate our heroic Gendarmerie who conducted these operations. May God protect you. The prayers of our nation are with you,” said Minister Yerlikaya.
SIBERGOZ-50 has successfully led to the arrest of 24 suspects with transaction volumes amounting to 364 million TL in their accounts, addressing severe online crimes across Turkey’s cyber and physical domains.
For more information, visit the official Twitter handle of Ali Yerlikaya:
[Link to Twitter]