The tourists' money was stolen, and they danced in the middle of the street.

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Individuals who quickly stole money from tourists in Istanbul then entertained themselves on the street with traditional music.

THEY STOLE TOURISTS' MONEY WITH SLEIGHT OF HAND

It was determined by the Istanbul Police Department that taxi drivers and some individuals acting in concert with them were deceiving tourists and committing organized theft in the districts of Beyoğlu, Şişli, Bakırköy, and Fatih. The suspects directed foreign customers to their taxis and then, under the pretext of checking whether the money they had was fake, quickly stole a portion of the money. In some incidents, the suspects were captured on security cameras while committing the crimes.

SIMULTANEOUS RAIDS ON 36 ADDRESSES

Following technical and physical surveillance conducted by the Public Order Branch and the Theft Bureau, an operation was launched against the members of the gang. Simultaneous raids were conducted on 36 previously identified addresses in the districts of Eyüpsultan, Esenler, Esenyurt, Ümraniye, Beyoğlu, Gaziosmanpaşa, Küçükçekmece, Şişli, Bağcılar, Ataşehir, and Pendik. During the raids, 26 suspects, including the alleged gang leader Saffet Ü. (45), were detained. During the searches, 4 unlicensed firearms, 60 cartridges, and a police flashlight were seized.

THEY CELEBRATED BY DANCING IN THE STREET

It was learned that the suspects interrogated at the Theft Bureau denied the accusations. Meanwhile, the police obtained footage of some suspects dancing in the street to traditional music after committing their fraudulent acts. In the videos taken with a mobile phone, the suspects were seen dancing in the middle of the street with some citizens who joined them.

IT WAS CAPTURED ON SECURITY CAMERAS

It was determined that the suspects interrogated at the Theft Bureau had carried out 33 actions using the same method. In some incidents, the suspects, who were caught on security cameras, were seen asking for the money from foreign customers immediately after they got into the car, pretending to check it, and stealing a portion of it.

ONE OF THE SUSPECTS WAS KILLED TWO MONTHS AGO

Additionally, it was revealed that Kerem Doğan, a person on the target list during the police operation, was killed on November 19, 2024. It was determined that Kerem Doğan was killed in a fight with another taxi driver, S.Y., in the Gürsel neighborhood of Kağıthane. It was learned that 6 suspects, including S.Y., were captured and arrested in connection with the murder.

THEY WERE SENT TO THE COURT

It was determined that the suspects, whose procedures were completed at the Public Order Branch, had carried out 33 actions using the same method. It was learned that 12 members of the organization had been captured and arrested in previous operations. After their procedures, the suspects were sent to the court.