Tattoo gave him away, AI exposed him: Fugitive with 19-year prison sentence caught

In an incident that occurred on Friday, February 13, at approximately 17:15 in the Mecidiyeköy neighborhood of Istanbul's Şişli district, the B Region Security Teams affiliated with the Istanbul Police Department's Security Teams Branch stopped a couple they found suspicious.

CAUGHT DURING ID CHECK WITH FAKE ID

During the identity check, the suspect presented a fake ID issued in the name of Abdülhamit K. (18). Initial checks revealed no issues with the ID.

However, one of the police officers performing the check remembered that he had checked the same person in Galata about 1.5 years ago. The officer recalled that the name on the current ID was different from the information from that time.

TATTOO DETAIL INCREASED SUSPICION

During the check, the tattoo on the suspect's wife's hand caught the police officer's attention. It was observed that the name written on the tattoo did not match the name on the presented ID. As the police officer tried to clarify the situation, the suspect suddenly started to run.

After a chase lasting approximately 1 kilometer, he was caught and taken into custody by the Security Teams.

CREATED PHOTO WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

During the investigation, it was determined that the suspect had combined his own face with the face of a relative using an artificial intelligence program and created a new photo to use on the ID. It was determined that by using this method, he had obtained a fake ID from the Population Directorate using his relative's identity information.

It was revealed that the suspect, whose real name is Muhammed A., had a finalized prison sentence of 19 years and 10 days for the crime of "Theft."

HAD BEEN WALKING AROUND FOR YEARS WITHOUT BEING CAUGHT

Police teams also examined the ID in the databases of the courthouse and police inquiry systems. It was determined that the photo created with artificial intelligence was included in official records, which made it difficult to identify the suspect during ID checks.

It was determined that the suspect had avoided police checks for years thanks to this method.

ARRESTED

Judicial proceedings were also initiated against Muhammed A., whose procedures at the police station were completed, for the crimes of "Using someone else's identity information" and "False statement."

The suspect, who was referred to the courthouse, was arrested by the court he was brought before.

The moments when the suspect fled were also reflected on security cameras. The footage shows the Security Teams chasing the suspect for a long time and catching him as a result of the pursuit.

“THE REALISM OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HAS EXCEEDED LIMITS”

Evaluating the subject, Cybersecurity Expert Osman Demircan drew attention to the point artificial intelligence has reached.

Demircan stated that today, a photo can be combined with another person's photo to evade facial recognition systems, and that artificial intelligence can produce images in biometric photo quality. He said that if these photos are presented to relevant institutions, they can be used without being questioned because they are very close to reality.

He expressed that in this incident, it was seen that a wanted person used artificial intelligence to evade facial recognition systems.

“PHOTO SHOULD BE TAKEN WITHIN THE INSTITUTION”

Demircan stated that some measures should be taken to prevent the misuse of artificial intelligence. He stated that taking photos directly within the relevant institution with biometric devices during ID applications could prevent forgery.

Stating that video versions and more advanced fake content may emerge in the coming years, Demircan said that it will become difficult to distinguish this content from the real thing. He expressed that with small measures, criminals can be prevented from evading law enforcement and facial recognition systems.

“CAN BE CREATED WITH SIMPLE COMMANDS”

Demircan stated that artificial intelligence platforms open to everyone can create a single high-resolution and high-quality image by combining two photos. He stated that such photos can be produced with simple commands and can be of a quality that can evade facial recognition systems.