In an operation organized by the gendarmerie targeting fraud through social media platforms that promised high earnings in nine provinces, including Istanbul, 24 suspects were detained, and 19 of them were referred to the courthouse.
The investigation, launched by the Küçükçekmece Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, resulted in the capture of a total of 45 suspects between Oct. 8, 2024, and Jan. 10, 2025. The scope of the investigation was expanded by examining voice recordings, photos, documents, call data records (HTS), MASAK data and information gathered from payment and electronic money institutions, as well as cryptocurrency service providers.
The investigation revealed that some of the suspects had approximately TL 4.6 billion ($120 million) in account activity between 2017 and 2024.
On April 18, gendarmerie teams carried out an operation in nine provinces: Istanbul, Kayseri, Ankara, Kırıkkale, Yozgat, Adıyaman, Şanlıurfa, Trabzon and Adana, resulting in the detention of 24 suspects.
After their statements were taken by the gendarmerie, five suspects were released, with their files to be sent for further processing. The remaining 19 suspects were referred to the courthouse.
In the first two phases of the investigation, 40 out of 45 suspects arrested in previous operations were detained by the magistrate’s court, while five were released with judicial control conditions.