28.03.2025 17:02
In an operation conducted across 9 provinces, 25 suspects were detained from a network that defrauded individuals of 50 million TL under the pretense of historical artifacts. They buried statues in areas they identified with their own drawn maps in Tunceli and arranged for the people they deceived to meet with a fake priest to facilitate their exit abroad.
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The suspects wandering in the rural areas of Tunceli showed maps drawn on old paper pages to some villagers, claiming that there were many gold and historical artifacts in the region. The suspects then had these individuals excavate certain areas marked on the maps. Statues were found in a jar during the excavations.
THEY ALSO ARRANGED A SO-CALLED PRIEST
The suspects video-called the participants of the excavation, claiming that a so-called priest, who they said was abroad, would buy the statues. The so-called priest stated that selling the statue in Turkey would be problematic and said he would buy and sell them abroad for a high price.
50 MILLION TL WAS COLLECTED
Approximately 50 million TL was collected from the villagers for the export of the statues abroad. Those who participated in the excavation later realized they had been defrauded and reported it to the gendarmerie.
A SPECIAL TEAM WAS FORMED
Upon the complaint, the Provincial Gendarmerie Command's Smuggling and Organized Crime Combat Branch teams formed a special team. With the instruction of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the identities of the network members were determined after three months of technical and physical surveillance. In an operation conducted in Tunceli, Istanbul, Izmir, Diyarbakır, Mersin, Bingöl, Batman, Bitlis, and Gaziantep, 25 suspects were detained. A large number of statues, jars, SIM cards, a significant amount of money, and weapons were seized at the suspects' addresses. The suspects brought to Tunceli were referred to the courthouse after their procedures at the gendarmerie.
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