Turkish security teams crack down on looters in quake-ravaged areas

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish security teams on Saturday arrested at least 48 suspects over allegedly looting damaged buildings or prank calling victims after powerful earthquakes shook the region.

According to security sources who wished to remain anonymous due to media restrictions, the security teams carried out investigations into at least 42 suspects in Türkiye's southern Hatay province over claims of looting of quake-damaged buildings.

Forty suspects were arrested and security teams seized $11,000, 70,000 Turkish lira ($3,700), 20 cellphones, eight laptops, five appliances, six guns, and three rifles as well as jewelry and bank cards belonging to different people, said the sources.

Another two suspects, posing as aid workers, were arrested after allegedly trying to loot six-truckloads of food for quake victims in the Hatay province.

Separately, security teams arrested six suspects in Istanbul's Beykoz district over defrauding an earthquake victim in southern Gaziantep, by telephone.

The victim, Nedim Akarsu, was phoned by the suspects who introduced themselves as telecommunications workers and said they could help after he provides his personal banking information.

Akarsu notified police after realizing the money in his bank account had been moved to another account.

Six suspects were arrested.

Two laptops, a large number of cellphones, one unregistered gun, and criminal materials were seized by police teams.

The magnitude 7.7 and 7.6 earthquakes, centered in Kahramanmaras, affected more than 13 million people across 10 provinces, and killed over 21,800 people, according to the latest figures.

Several countries in the region, including Syria and Lebanon, felt the strong tremors that struck Türkiye in the space of fewer than 10 hours.​​​​​​​