Police crack down on major fraud network

ISTANBUL

Security forces have cracked down on a fraud ring that included a judge, prosecutors and a former soldier.

The crime group, which is led by Salice Fedakar, has been on the National Intelligence Organization’s (MİT) radar for some time.

Fedakar was carrying a fake MİT ID and posing in military outfits. She called the crime group “Atadedeler,” which included a judge, two prosecutors, a former soldier who was dismissed from the military because of his link to the terror group FETÖ, lawyers, businesspeople, bureaucrats and politicians.

It has some 370 members, according to security sources.

The crime group was launched in the eastern province of Elazığ but was operating in the western province of İzmir.

Ring members approached victims, claiming that they were handling “deep state’s financial intelligence affairs,” collecting up to 5 million Turkish Liras.

They told victims that they could help them with doing business and settling abroad, investment-related issues and handling procedures with state institutions.

As part of an operation launched in Ankara into the group, the MİT started to monitor the activities of the ring members, and eventually, an operation was launched. The intelligence organization exposed a fraud network with 370 members.

Fedakar and Ali Ekşi, the former military officer, were caught in the northern province of Samsun. They were arrested and sent to prison.

In their statements to the police, the detained ring members claimed that they were also the victim.

They told the police that they believed Fedakar was a member of the MİT.

The suspects said they were convinced that the group was acting on behalf of the state when they met some of its members, including a judge, and prosecutors.

Security forces found that the judge was the head of a heavy penal court, who met with new members and attended meetings.

The crime group assigned “division chiefs” to handle activities in foreign countries, such as the U.K., Lebanon, Cuba and Dubai. Those chiefs were helping group members relocate abroad and charging them large sums of money.
People had to pay 10,000 liras to join the group and they also had to pay the same amount if they wanted to leave on the condition that they would never speak about the secret organization.