Operation Against Irregularities in Vehicle Pounds: 18 Detainees

An operation was conducted against a group suspected of making illegal profits from vehicles in custody in Istanbul. As part of the investigation coordinated by the Istanbul Anatolia Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, teams from the Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime Bureau of the Istanbul Police Department detected that vehicle parts were being removed and sold, and then the vehicles were being put up for auction with missing parts after a six-month follow-up. According to the investigation, vehicles were sold below their market value, and suspects bought these vehicles at low prices through third parties, then reassembled and resold them for a profit. It is also alleged that some vehicles were presented as damaged using artificial intelligence-supported visuals and fake reports, which reduced their auction prices. The suspects allegedly removed tax and debt records of vehicle owners without authorization and falsified records to make it seem like unsold vehicles had been sold. The group is believed to have carried out a total of 71 actions through three vehicle pounds and two warehouses in Pendik, Maltepe, and Tuzla, resulting in approximately 1.5 billion lira in illegal profits. Of the suspects referred to court, 18 were arrested, while 14 were released under judicial supervision. Three other detainees were released by the police following a prosecutor's order.