Istanbul police dismantle human trafficking ring exploiting women via TikTok

Istanbul police have dismantled a human trafficking ring that exploited foreign women through social media platforms, specifically TikTok. The criminal network targeted women from Central Asia and Africa, using live streams to create a false impression of high earnings to lure new victims to Turkey.

During a raid on a residence in the Osmaniye neighborhood of Bakırköy, authorities rescued 14 women, including seven with legal residency and seven without. Some victims attempted to escape through balconies to neighboring apartments during the operation. The suspects had reportedly confiscated the women's passports and forced them into prostitution and domestic labor.

Four suspects, identified by the initials Y. B., H. D., A. D., and O. R., were detained. The rescued women have been placed under protection or handed over to the Provincial Directorate of Migration Management for deportation procedures.