Turkish Police Arrest Over 40 Suspects in Nationwide Fraud Crackdown

Coordinated police operations across more than a dozen Turkish provinces targeted organised fraud networks that posed as social‑aid workers, police, prosecutors and bank officials. In a May 14‑15 sweep, authorities detained 19 suspects in 12 provinces, subsequently charging 13 with fraud involving an estimated 350 million TRY in illicit gains. A parallel “Şafak” operation on May 23 seized 23 suspects in 13 provinces, with 14 placed in pre‑trial detention after investigators uncovered scams that swindled about 19 million TRY and generated around 600 million TRY in suspicious account activity. Seized assets included dozens of mobile phones, computers, tablets, firearms ammunition, narcotic‑laden medication and large quantities of personal data. Overall, more than 40 individuals were arrested, with a majority held pending trial and several released under judicial control. The operations recovered substantial evidence of extensive identity theft, bank‑account manipulation and money‑laundering through crypto transfers.