20.07.2026 16:00
New details have emerged of the giant "mole" operation in which 50 people, including 27 public officials, were detained. In messages related to POLNET, which have been included in the investigation file, members of the criminal organization were seen requesting interrogation, address, and search records from police officers in exchange for money. In conversations that began with messages like "I've paid you, can you check the search?" it was observed that the closed-circuit POLNET screen was put at the disposal of the gangs.
A massive "mole" operation was conducted in 12 provinces over allegations that secret information was leaked from public institutions to criminal organizations. Detention warrants were issued for 50 suspects, including police officers, customs guards, and lawyers, while chilling WhatsApp messages detailing bribery and information leaks between gang members and public officials were included in the investigation file.
The investigation, led by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor's Office Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, revealed that criminal organizations have infiltrated public institutions. It was determined that organization leaders and members used some public officials to access state systems that should remain confidential.
INCLUDING DEPUTY DIRECTORS AND POLICE OFFICERS
The professional distribution of the 50 suspects, for whom detention warrants were issued as part of simultaneous operations by security forces in 12 provinces, caused a great uproar in the public. Among the public officials found to be involved in the crime are 10 police officers, 15 customs guards, one deputy director of customs guards, two probation officers, one court clerk, and two lawyers. It was determined that the suspects provided critical and confidential data, such as criminal records, wanted notices, arrest warrants, red notices, vehicle inquiries, and customs transit information, to gang members. The raids carried out in Istanbul, Muğla, Bursa, Edirne, Çanakkale, Sivas, Tekirdağ, Diyarbakır, İzmir, Balıkesir, Ankara, and Kayseri dealt a major blow to this corrupt network.
WHATSAPP MESSAGES IN FILE: I MADE A PAYMENT FOR YOU, CAN YOU CHECK THE ARREST RECORD?
According to a report on NTV, the WhatsApp messages included in the investigation file revealed the corrupt network and bribery scheme in all their starkness. It was seen that the closed-circuit POLNET screen, which only security personnel can access and contains sensitive citizen data, was placed at the disposal of gangs.
In the first recorded dialogue, a gang member told a public official, "Emre, can you check if there's an arrest record? I just made a payment for you," and the public official shared a screenshot from the system and replied, "Clean, bro." In another shocking exchange, the gang member requested the addresses and identity information of targeted individuals, stating, "Can you query from the POLNET screen? I need their family members and own address. It's for registration. No trouble. Photos, addresses... Just the POLNET screen.."
MINISTER GÜRLEK: NO TOLERANCE FOR THOSE WHO OFFER STATE RESOURCES TO GANGS
Justice Minister Akın Gürlek shared details of the operation in a statement on his social media account, sending a message of determination against corrupt structures trying to give space to criminal organizations. Minister Gürlek stated that those who attempt to place state resources at the service of criminal organizations and undermine the dignity of public office and the public's trust in the state will never be tolerated, and legal actions will be taken without delay against those who try to use public power for personal or organizational interests. Gürlek emphasized that in the Century of Türkiye, they will continue to show the power of the rule of law against criminal organizations most decisively and thanked the personnel involved in the operation.