04.02.2025 21:40
In an operation conducted in Istanbul, a network producing fake identities and passports for illegal immigrants destined for EU countries was dismantled. Five foreign individuals were detained, and thousands of counterfeit documents were seized.
In an operation held in Istanbul, a network that prepared fake identity cards, passports, and driver's licenses for illegal immigrants to European Union countries was dismantled. The raid, in which five foreign suspects were captured, was recorded by police cameras.
Teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Immigration Smuggling and Border Gates Branch initiated an operation upon receiving information about the crime of "forgery of official documents."
5 FOREIGNERS ARRESTED
During the investigation, it was determined that fake identity documents and passports for EU member countries were produced at two separate addresses in Büyükçekmece and Esenler districts. Following physical surveillance conducted as part of the ongoing investigation, an operation was carried out at the mentioned address on January 31, where five foreign suspects named A.E. and M.H.J. were captured.
THOUSANDS OF DOCUMENTS AND A LARGE NUMBER OF EQUIPMENT SEIZED
During the searches, 2,759 fake identity cards and driver's licenses prepared on behalf of member countries, 70 fake passports, and 2,340 visa labels were seized, along with 13,500 identity cards ready for printing, 5,500 blank passport pages, 1,620 laminating films, 85 seals, 65 passport chips, 400 security holograms, 2 laser engraving and marking machines, one laser cutting engraving machine, 12 card printing devices, 5 laptops, 6 UV light devices, 8 printers, 3 laminating machines, 3 NFC devices, one hot stamping device, 3 passport readers, and a large number of materials used in the production of passports and identity cards were confiscated.
3,000 EUROS PER DOCUMENT
It was determined that the fake document network sold citizenship identities and passports to illegal immigrants and fugitives for 3,000 euros each. Five suspects named A.E., E.E., M.H., M.E., and M.H.J., who were found to be siblings and specialized in preparing fake documents, were detained and taken to the police station. The captured suspects were arrested by the court after the investigation initiated against them, while the seized fake identities and passports were displayed at the police station.