The Mersin Police Department announced that they have received information that stolen vehicles from abroad are being transported through Turkey to Syria and Iraq. In response, the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Branch, the Port Police Department, the Interpol-Europol Division, and the Customs Surveillance Smuggling and Intelligence Directorate have initiated a joint operation.
During the operation at Mersin Port, it was determined that 11 second-hand pickups and SUVs in some containers were stolen, as confirmed by a query on the Interpol database. The market value of these vehicles is estimated to be around 50 million Turkish Lira.
It was found that the vehicles were being held without undergoing any inquiry by the relevant companies due to being stolen, and there were attempts to re-ship them by sea. The teams also discovered that 3 of the vehicles were left in the port area in violation of transit regulations.
As a result of the investigation, legal action has been taken against 6 suspects involved in the incident. The seized luxury vehicles have a total market value of approximately 50 million Turkish Lira. The collaboration between various law enforcement agencies has proven to be successful in preventing the illegal transportation of stolen vehicles through Turkey to neighboring countries.
