Hitman Trap Operation Against Crime Networks in Istanbul
Istanbul Police launched an operation against criminal networks that deceived individuals with social media promises, used them as hitmen in shooting and arson attacks, but failed to pay them the money they had promised.
The Istanbul Police Department carried out an operation targeting criminal networks that used individuals—whom they deceived through social media with promises of a luxury lifestyle—as hitmen in shooting and arson attacks, but failed to pay the promised money upon completion of the jobs. Seven suspects involved in attacks in Küçükçekmece and Esenyurt were apprehended.
Method of finding hitmen via social media
Following the imprisonment of their management cadres, organized crime syndicates in Istanbul attempted to find new hitmen by making flashy posts on social media with the few members remaining outside. The police's move to shut down these accounts blocked their methods.
Details of the arson incident in Esenyurt
In the arson attack on a construction company in Esenyurt, it was revealed that the syndicate offered 800,000 TL to two suspects they contacted via Instagram in exchange for the act. The suspects, who obtained the gasoline can from a minor, went to the scene in a pirate taxi but did not receive the promised money.
Consecutive shooting actions in Küçükçekmece
The same construction company in Küçükçekmece was shot at on consecutive days, September 29 and 30. A sum of 400,000 TL was promised to the hitman for these two attacks, and the weapon was delivered to the hitman after being located via a video call near the Halkalı Cemetery.
7 suspects caught in the operation
The fact that crime networks did not pay the promised money became clear through the statements of the captured hitmen. As a result of meticulous work conducted by the Istanbul Police, a total of 7 suspects involved in the attacks were swiftly apprehended in operations on various dates.