Massive Police Operation in Turkey Busts Loan Sharking Crime Syndicate
In a significant crackdown on illegal loan sharking activities, Turkey’s Minister of Interior, Ali Yerlikaya, announced that 61 suspects have been apprehended during the “KUYU-11” operations conducted in four provinces centered around Istanbul. The criminal organization, led by Tuncer Aslan, engaged in usurious loan practices.
Minister Yerlikaya took to social media to reinforce the government’s stance against organized crime networks, including loan sharks, stating, “We will not allow organized crime groups and loan sharks to operate freely!”
Coordinated by the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and executed by the Istanbul Financial Crimes Division, the operations targeted those involved in “Loan Sharking, Forming a Criminal Organization, Extortion, and Threats.” The operation spanned Istanbul, Ağrı, Sakarya, and Kocaeli. Authorities found that the suspects issued high-interest loans, demanded various collateral including checks, promissory notes, real estate, and vehicles, and issued threats to borrowers and their families.
As a result of the raids, law enforcement recovered:
– 6 unlicensed and 8 registered pistols,
– 2 pump-action shotguns,
– Numerous promissory notes and checks.
Minister Yerlikaya lauded the Istanbul Anatolian Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the heroic police officers involved in the operation, expressing, “Our nation’s prayers are with you. Those who take pride in their criminal activities will face the formidable might of our law enforcement and the Supreme Turkish justice system.”
Further updates on the operation were shared on social media, underlining the ongoing efforts to curb criminal networks.