06.05.2026 00:36
149 people were detained in a fraud operation centered in the Akçakale district of Şanlıurfa, conducted across 13 provinces. Assets worth 1 billion 50 million lira were seized in the operation, while the criminal organization's arsenal and money flow were also uncovered.
In an operation jointly conducted by police and gendarmerie targeting phone scammers across 13 provinces centered in Şanlıurfa, 149 suspects were detained. Assets exceeding 1 billion Turkish Liras in value were also seized from the suspects.
FRAUD OPERATION IN 13 PROVINCES
Within the scope of an investigation initiated ex officio by the Akçakale Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Department of Public Order and the Şanlıurfa Provincial Police Department launched a operation targeting the region known as the "center of communication fraud" in Turkey. As the first light of dawn broke, a simultaneous operation was carried out in a total of 13 provinces, centered in the districts of Şanlıurfa, Akçakale, and Harran, targeting a criminal organization consisting of 1,200 suspects, with the participation of 213 teams and 1,220 police officers.
149 PEOPLE IN CUSTODY
During searches conducted at residences and workplaces in the operation, it was revealed that the network was not only involved in fraud but also linked to arms and drug trafficking. The searches yielded 5 unlicensed pistols, 5 pump-action shotguns, 2 blank-firing pistols, hundreds of cartridges, numerous digital materials, jewelry, and narcotic substances. In the first phase of the investigation, 149 of the 185 identified suspects, including women, were captured and taken into custody.
ASSETS WORTH 1 BILLION LIRAS SEIZED
The financial dimension of the operation revealed the staggering figures reached by the criminal organization. Based on MASAK data, judicial authorities seized 237 luxury vehicles and 93 real estate properties (apartments, land, workplaces), with a total value of 1 billion 50 million liras, which were determined to have been obtained through fraud and laundered through various methods.
The operation, conducted under the coordination of the Ministries of Justice and Interior, once again proved that the fight against crime will continue uncompromisingly in the "Century of Türkiye." While the statement-taking processes of the 149 detained suspects continue, it was learned that the judicial process regarding other names in the pool of 1,200 individuals, established by the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, will also continue to deepen.