Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya Announces Arrest of 110 Suspects in “SIBERGÖZ-49” Operations

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya Announces Arrest of 110 Suspects in “SIBERGÖZ-49” Operations

Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya revealed that 110 suspects with a transaction volume of 3.75 billion TL in their accounts were apprehended during the “SIBERGÖZ-49” operations.

These operations were conducted in 29 provinces, including Kahramanmaraş, Afyonkarahisar, Ankara, Samsun, Sakarya, and Diyarbakır, targeting crimes such as “violations of the Law No. 7258 on Organizing Betting and Games of Chance in Football and Other Sports Competitions, Qualified Fraud by Using Information Systems, Qualified Theft and Online Child Obscenity and Harassment.”

Minister Yerlikaya emphasized the dedication of cyber patrols, stating, “Our virtual patrols are on duty 24/7 to protect Cyber Homeland!” He also shared details of the operations on his social media account.

Coordinated by the General Directorate of Security’s Cyber Crimes Department, the operations were carried out in provinces including Istanbul, Malatya, Balıkesir, Antalya, Mersin, Konya, Artvin, Düzce, Kırklareli, İzmir, Adana, Batman, Bursa, Gaziantep, Giresun, Hatay, Kırıkkale, Kocaeli, Muğla, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, and Trabzon.

Key details from the operations:

– **Kahramanmaraş Cyber Crimes Division**: Investigations in Ankara, Istanbul, Malatya, Balıkesir, and Antalya led to the capture of 15 suspects who created fake betting sites and directed citizens to them via social media. They further exploited these citizens by claiming they had participated in illegal betting.

– **Afyonkarahisar Cyber Crimes Division**: An operation in Bursa resulted in the apprehension of a suspect who posed as a “Bank Customer Representative” and fraudulently promised credit card limit increases to a company representative, securing illicit gains.

– **Ankara Cyber Crimes Division**: Operations in Mersin, Konya, and Artvin led to the arrest of 6 suspects who shared posts claiming “High Earnings from Forex” on hijacked social media accounts and demanded fees from victims for supposed taxes and foreign charges.

– **Samsun Cyber Crimes Division**: Based on a MASAK report, an operation in Samsun identified and captured a suspect involved in financial transactions under false pretenses such as “Bungalow rental in Sakarya” and “motor purchase.”

– **Sakarya Cyber Crimes Division**: Investigations in Sakarya, Düzce, Istanbul, Antalya, Kırklareli, İzmir, and Samsun led to the arrest of 56 suspects who acquired accounts from others and used them on an illegal betting site named “Grandpashabet,” involving a transaction volume of 3.75 billion TL.

– **Diyarbakır Cyber Crimes Division**: Operations targeting crimes of “Online Child Obscenity and Harassment” in multiple provinces, including Adana, Afyonkarahisar, Ankara, Antalya, Batman, Bursa, Diyarbakır, Gaziantep, Giresun, Hatay, Istanbul, İzmir, Kırıkkale, Kocaeli, Muğla, Şanlıurfa, Şırnak, Tekirdağ, and Trabzon, resulted in the capture of 31 suspects who sold child exploitation images via social media applications.

Minister Yerlikaya congratulated the police officers involved in these operations, expressing gratitude for their efforts and the nation’s prayers.

A total of 110 suspects with a transaction volume of 3.75 billion TL were captured in the “SIBERGÖZ-49” operations conducted in 29 provinces, centered in Kahramanmaraş, Afyonkarahisar, Ankara, Samsun, Sakarya, and Diyarbakır.