Turkish, German police launch joint operation into call center scheme in Turkey’s Antalya

ANTALYA

Turkish and German police have launched an operation into a network that allegedly set up a call center in the southern Turkish province of Antalya to extort money from more than 500 people living in Germany, Doğan News Agency reported on June 20.

Three Bavarian law enforcement officials who came to Antalya following a five-month-long technical and physical surveillance process joined the Turkish police in carrying out simultaneous raids on eight addresses, the report said.

In the operation which led to the arrest of seven of 11 detained suspects, authorities also seized seven million euros which the network had acquired through the scheme.

Network used FETÖ fear as bait

The gang members, who were found living in “wealth,” had conned the victims by telling them they were sought for links to the Fethullahist Terror Organization (FETÖ), believed to have been behind the July 2016 coup attempt, and promised the victims they would help them if they paid 12,500 euros, the agency’s report read.

“There is an arrest warrant out on your name on the basis that you have aided FETÖ,” the group reportedly told the victims.

“To remove the warrant, you need to pay us 12,500 euros,” they reportedly said.

The group targeted a total of 511 people, most of them who are elderly and retired living in Germany.

The group also threatened the victims saying there was “evidence of child sexual abuse cases” they were involved in as a second threat.

The group, including one German national and German-born Turkish nationals, used a software called “XLine” to make money by misleading the people.

The German national, identified only as Esther Daniela D., was arrested, while four others were set free on conditional release, the agency reported.

Drugs, arms and bullets were also seized in the addresses, the report said.