346 detained in Türkiye-wide cybercrime raids, 99 arrested | #cybercrime | #infosec

Authorities detained 346 suspects in the past week during nationwide cybercrime operations, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya announced Friday. Among them, 99 individuals were formally arrested, and 60 others were placed under judicial supervision.

The operations, coordinated by the Cybercrime Department of the General Directorate of Security and public prosecutors, targeted offenses across 21 provinces, including online child exploitation, phishing schemes, illegal betting networks, and identity theft.

According to Yerlikaya, suspects were found in possession of child pornography, and many were involved in phishing scams via fake car rental, deposit, high-profit investment, and bungalow rental websites. Others managed illegal gambling platforms, laundered money, or accessed victims’ mobile banking systems to extract personal data and commit fraud.

Key seizures included:

• Six unlicensed firearms and seven blank pistols
• Various narcotics
• Numerous digital devices
• Seven vehicles and 1 business, valued at approximately ₺22.8 million ($568,000)

Criminal charges filed include qualified fraud, illegal betting, unauthorized access to IT systems, money laundering, and possession of prohibited devices.

Yerlikaya commended local governors, prosecutors, cybercrime units, and financial crime investigators. He urged citizens to report suspicious online activities to the 112 Emergency Call Center, stating: “Awareness is our strongest shield against cybercrime.”