Lebanese businessperson living in Gaziantep defrauded by Syrian individuals: Lebanon issues diplomatic note to Turkey

A Lebanese businessperson, J.R., was defrauded by Syrian individuals living in Gaziantep. J.R. lost 5 million dollars during this process.

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Lebanese businessperson living in Gaziantep defrauded by Syrian individuals: Lebanon issues diplomatic note to Turkey

The fraud, initiated by Syrian national Zakaria Alhussin, began when he caught the interest of J.R. by sending photos of polyester materials via WhatsApp. Finding the initial offer too expensive, J.R. decided to travel to Turkey to see the goods in person after receiving a more favorable price offer a month later.

Upon arriving in Gaziantep, J.R. was met by Muhammed Elhüseyin and Zakaria Alhussin. These individuals, who introduced themselves as uncle and nephew, were later discovered to be father and son. The pair took J.R. to a factory that belonged to someone else. There, J.R. requested that the contracts and commitments be notarized; however, the fraudsters convinced J.R. by preparing fake notary documents.

According to the report by Oya Armutçu from Hürriyet, when J.R. realized that the goods were not being shipped as a result of the fraudulent activities, he reported the situation to the Lebanese Embassy and ensured that a diplomatic note was issued to Turkey. Within the scope of the investigation launched by the Gaziantep Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, MASAK determined that the fraudsters had purchased 8 luxury apartments and 26 luxury cars, and had also transferred 185 thousand dollars to their Syrian relatives. A lawsuit was filed against the suspects for "qualified fraud, money laundering, and forgery of official documents."

The number one suspect in the file, Muhammed Elhüseyin, could not be found despite extensive searches. After he came forward voluntarily to give a statement, he was arrested. In the second hearing on May 2, Elhüseyin was released despite the fact that the money laundering investigation was ongoing, the money obtained from the fraud had not been recovered, and the evidence had not been collected. The lawyer for the complainant, J.R., appealed the decision to the Gaziantep 12th High Criminal Court. However, the court rejected the appeal.

News Source: 12punto