Istanbul, June 10 – In a wide-ranging operation coordinated by the Bakırköy Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, Istanbul Anti-Financial Crimes Branch Directorate teams have arrested 27 suspects allegedly involved in an organized loan fraud scheme. The operation, which aimed to prevent organized loan fraud and apprehend those responsible, spanned 15 provinces.
Investigation Uncovers Sophisticated Fraud Scheme
The investigation revealed that the suspects meticulously divided roles, including procuring damaged vehicles, identifying individuals to be used in loan applications, and managing the appraisal processes. Evidence gathered by the teams indicated that the organized group inflicted financial losses on intermediary institutions by arranging fraudulent appraisal reports and subsequently defaulting on the loans.
Damaged Vehicles Falsely Certified as Undamaged
Authorities discovered that heavily damaged vehicles, including those affected by earthquakes, involved in traffic accidents, and some that had even been reported in the press, were falsely presented as undamaged or in good condition through inaccurate appraisal reports issued by appraisal firms connected to the suspects.
Multi-Province Raids and Arrests
Following the identification of the suspects’ identities and addresses, simultaneous operations were conducted across 15 provinces. These provinces included Istanbul, Kocaeli, Gaziantep, Sakarya, Mardin, Bursa, Manisa, Şanlıurfa, Erzurum, Muğla, Adana, Aksaray, Izmir, Ankara, and Iğdır.
All 27 apprehended suspects have been taken to the police headquarters for processing. The investigation is ongoing, and further details are expected to emerge as the legal proceedings continue.
