13.05.2026 09:52
Eight people attempting to travel to the UK with fake Israeli passports have been detained in Istanbul. In the operation targeting migrant smuggling and forgery of official documents, all 15 individuals under surveillance are foreign nationals.
8 individuals were detained in an operation targeting suspects who attempted to travel to the UK using fake Israeli passports in Istanbul. Teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Immigration Smuggling and Border Gates Branch initiated an investigation into migrant smuggling and document forgery crimes, coordinated by the Gaziosmanpaşa Chief Public Prosecutor's Office. Examining 'high-risk passenger' notifications shared by the UK, the teams identified individuals who might attempt to travel to the UK with forged travel documents.
THE SAME PASSPORT NUMBER WAS FOUND TO BE USED BY MULTIPLE PEOPLE
Investigations revealed that 15 individuals, all foreign nationals, who were believed to have received support from airline staff and were involved in 9 separate incidents, used fake passports made to appear as if issued by Israel, a country for which the UK does not require visas. It was also determined that the same passport number was used by multiple individuals.
In the continuation of the investigations, 8 suspects, who were identified as acting together, were taken into custody in a simultaneous operation conducted this morning.