Storm in Turkey: 9 Israelis Arrested on Suspicion of Involvement in Billion-Dollar Fraud

Istanbul - Afaq News - The public prosecutor's office in Istanbul announced that Israeli citizens managed an international investment fraud network from Turkey, defrauding victims around the world of more than $3 billion through investments in the cryptocurrency and foreign exchange markets.

Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdağ stated that 201 individuals have been arrested so far during a large-scale operation involving Interpol, including nine Israelis.

According to Turkish authorities, the arrests also included 45 foreign workers, among them 11 Pakistanis, and two individuals from each of Azerbaijan, Syria, Jordan, Ukraine, Thailand, Indonesia, and Morocco.

Individuals from Kazakhstan, the Philippines, Iran, China, Lebanon, Palestine, Mexico, Egypt, Mozambique, Argentina, and Bangladesh were also arrested.

The operation involved, in addition to Interpol, the Ministry of Interior and the Turkish National Intelligence Organization, in coordination with the Istanbul Public Prosecutor's Office and the city's Cybercrime Unit.

The authorities have not yet released the names of the suspects. However, the Turkish news site OdaTV reported that one of the key figures involved in the case is Israeli Igal Amit, 42, who also holds a Portuguese passport.

According to data from the Turkish Ministry of Justice, investigations have shown that the case involves a large organization, rather than the activities of individual companies.

The prosecution has accused Israeli citizens of managing the organization, describing its leaders as "Israeli fraud barons."

It added that these individuals appointed officials in various countries, where they established companies and service centers used to operate the fraud network.

The Turkish Minister of Justice stated that the investigation is being conducted within four files opened by the public prosecutor's office in Istanbul this year. He added that the examination of the ownership structure and the ultimate beneficiaries of the companies revealed the dominance of entities "linked to Israel."

The Turkish intelligence agency, the financial crimes investigation unit, the Istanbul police, and Interpol are also participating in the investigation.