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Ten suspects, including an active police officer and a retired officer, were arrested in Antalya for posing as police to seize $4 million worth of cryptocurrency from a villa using fake court orders and police uniforms.
The incident occurred on Dec. 29, at 4:58 a.m., when six suspects wearing official police uniforms and vests entered a villa in the Sirinyali neighborhood, Muratpasa district, presenting themselves as police officers and showing police identification.
The suspects claimed they had a court order, handcuffed two employees of the homeowner identified as C.T., and transferred $4 million worth of cryptocurrency from the victim's cold wallet to their own accounts. They also took the security camera recording device before fleeing.
Following a complaint filed with the Antalya Police Department, an investigation was launched under the directive of the Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Police identified two suspect vehicles and expanded the investigation, eventually detaining 13 suspects, including I.E., an active police officer serving at the Konyaalti District Police Department, and O.K., a retired police officer.
One Russian and two Belgian suspects were caught at the passport control point of Antalya Airport's International Terminal on Dec. 29 while attempting to leave the country.
During searches of homes and vehicles, police seized two pistols, $61,105 in cash, a cold wallet, an International Police Association (IPA) identity card, the plastic handcuffs used in the incident, pepper spray, 23 phones belonging to the suspects, a radio, and the computer case for the camera recording device.
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The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office launched an investigation into the suspects on charges of "aggravated robbery committed at night by multiple persons with weapons, deprivation of liberty, forgery of official documents, and unlawful assumption of public duty."
Of the 13 suspects referred to the Antalya Courthouse on Jan. 2, 10 were arrested, including Turkish nationals as well as citizens of Russia, Kazakhstan and Belgium.
Three suspects were released under judicial control measures.
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