In a coordinated operation by the Batman Republic Prosecutor’s Office, the Gendarmerie General Command Smuggling and Organized Crime Combat Department, with the support of the Cyber Crimes Combat Department, simultaneous “Mahzen-30” operations were carried out in Batman and other cities such as Adana, Aydın, Mersin, Hakkari, Van, Mardin, and Izmir. In these operations, a total of 34 suspects, including the leader of the organized crime group known as “Odacılar” Doğan Güney, who is on the run, were captured.
It was found that the suspects, who were members of an organized crime group committing the crime of “qualified fraud through the use of information systems,” engaged in fraud by posting fake rental bungalow house advertisements on social media. The suspects then attempted to cover the tracks of the money obtained from the victims by first transferring it to legal betting platforms’ accounts and then transferring it to their own bank accounts, ultimately defrauding a total of 18,635 citizens.
As a result of the coordinated efforts with MASAK, it was determined that the suspects’ assets derived from the crime were used to launder money. Initially, 1283 bank accounts owned by the suspects with a transaction volume of 34 million 530 thousand lira were seized. The main goal of the authorities is to crack down on organized crime groups and bring them to justice.
During the operations, unlicensed firearms, numerous cell phones, SIM cards, bank and credit cards, as well as various digital materials were seized. Minister Yerlikaya emphasized the government’s commitment to dismantling organized crime groups of any size and bringing them to justice. He commended the efforts of the Batman Republic Prosecutor’s Office, the heroic gendarmerie forces, and the MASAK personnel involved in the operations, stating that the operations will continue regardless of the time of day.
The successful crackdown on the organized crime group known as “Odacılar” in the “Mahzen-30” operations conducted across 8 provinces, led by Doğan Güney, is a significant achievement in the fight against cybercrimes and fraud. The authorities are determined to continue their operations to protect the citizens and ensure that justice is served. The seizure of assets and digital evidence during the operations will aid in further investigations and prosecutions against the suspects involved in this elaborate fraud scheme.
