130 million lira stolen in Istanbul mansion heist

ISTANBUL

A private security guard at a Bosphorus-front mansion in Istanbul’s Sarıyer district orchestrated the theft of 130 million Turkish Liras ($4 million) of foreign currency.

The police has launched an extensive operation to apprehend the thieves.

The incident took place on June 9 at the historic Memduh Pasha Mansion located in Sarıyer’s Kireçburnu area. The suspect, identified as Ahmet Y., who was a security guard employed by a construction company at the mansion for about a year and a half, facilitated the entry of four masked and black-clad accomplices.

The heist unfolded when Ahmet Y. disabled the mansion’s alarm system and allowed the suspects to enter. They arrived in a grey pickup truck and proceeded to break open the locks of four safes inside the mansion.

The thieves then transferred approximately 130 million liras of foreign currency into three large sacks and swiftly loaded them into the truck before fleeing the scene.

The robbery was discovered in the morning by Ümit E., the business owner, who immediately reported the theft to the authorities.

Police teams arrived promptly and reviewed the mansion’s security footage. The recordings confirmed that Ahmet Y. had let in the masked suspects.

The police has since intensified its efforts to track down the culprits.