Counterfeit gold operation in 10 provinces centered in Kahramanmaraş

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that, as part of an investigation conducted by the Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, simultaneous operations were carried out in 10 provinces on charges of "counterfeiting currency," "counterfeiting values equivalent to currency," and "qualified fraud."

In a statement on his social media account, Gürlek stated that the investigation was launched following allegations that gold jewelry, which should be minted by the Mint, was being produced below the required standards in terms of purity and weight.

PROCEEDINGS AGAINST 71 SUSPECTS

Minister Gürlek used the following expressions in his statement:

"Action has been taken against structures that cause both our state to suffer losses and defraud our citizens by minting gold jewelry, which should be minted by the Mint, below the required purity and weight, under the coordination of our Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

Within the scope of the crimes of 'counterfeiting currency,' 'counterfeiting values equivalent to currency,' and 'qualified fraud,' simultaneous operations were organized against 71 suspects consisting of jewelers, workshop owners, bag manufacturers, and mold makers who produce and market counterfeit gold in our 10 provinces centered in Kahramanmaraş."

COUNTERFEIT MOLDS AND GOLD SEIZED

Stating that a large number of counterfeit molds allegedly used in the crime, gold claimed to have been illegally minted, and various criminal items were seized during the searches conducted as part of the operation, Gürlek reported that the investigation is continuing under the coordination of the Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.

In the continuation of his statement, Gürlek used the following expressions:

"In the searches conducted so far, a large number of counterfeit molds used in the crime, illegally minted gold, and items constituting criminal evidence have been seized. The investigation, carried out under the coordination of our Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, continues meticulously and in a multi-faceted manner.

We will not allow the hard-earned money of any of our citizens to be usurped by forgery, trickery, and fraud; we will not leave our citizens' savings for difficult days and their lawful earnings in the hands of fraudsters; we will protect the reputation of the jewelry sector and the trust of our citizens.

I sincerely congratulate our Kahramanmaraş Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, which coordinated this investigation with confidentiality and diligence, our Kahramanmaraş Provincial Police Department, which successfully executed the operation in the field, and all our public officials who took part in the investigation process.

Under the leadership of our President, Mr. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, our fight against all kinds of organized crime structures that threaten our economic security and social peace will continue uninterrupted; the requirements of justice will be fulfilled with determination."

News Source: İHA