Israel Faces Turkey Over International Fraud Networks

Turkish authorities announced the arrest of 201 out of 248 suspects in a security operation targeting an "international fraud network with Israeli connections".

The authorities stated that "the operation was coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office and jointly executed by the Istanbul Regional Directorate of the Turkish Intelligence Agency and the Istanbul Police Department".

According to Turkish media, the list of detained individuals includes 9 Israelis and 11 Pakistanis whose identities have been confirmed, along with nationals from other countries including Arab ones (Syria, Jordan, Morocco, Lebanon, Palestine, and Egypt), while judicial investigations remain ongoing.

On Friday, Turkish Justice Minister Akın Gürcan announced the arrest of 175 out of 239 suspects against whom arrest warrants had been issued, in an operation targeting an international forex trading fraud network linked to Israel.

Gürcan said in a statement published via social media platforms that "the operation targeted an organized fraud network using companies operating under the cover of 'call centers' to lure citizens from various countries into fictitious investments in forex and cryptocurrencies".

He explained that "four separate investigations conducted by the Istanbul prosecutor's office this year revealed the network recruited victims through online ads and social media platforms, offering promises of high returns".

Gürcan emphasized that analyses by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board, results from intelligence and police operations, along with hundreds of victim complaints collected via Interpol, showed that individuals linked to Israel constitute the majority of company owners and ultimate beneficiaries, exposing a fraud organization targeting multiple countries.

He added that "the network specifically targeted countries in Europe, East Asia, and Africa, with transaction volumes reaching approximately 13 billion Turkish Lira (about $266 million) over two years, according to investigation findings".

Based on these findings, Turkish authorities carried out a synchronized operation early Friday morning involving Interpol units, targeting 42 call centers belonging to 28 companies across 286 addresses in Istanbul and Muğla.