Joint Georgia-Turkey police operation leads to arrest of 12 Turkish fugitives

The Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, in a joint operation with Turkish law counterparts, has arrested 12 Turkish citizens who were wanted by Turkish authorities.

The large-scale police action that took place across Georgia over the past 24 hours.

All 12 individuals were subject to Interpol Red Notices issued by Turkish police over the last five years for a wide range of serious and particularly grave crimes.

The investigation revealed that eight of the detainees had entered Georgia before the international arrest warrants were issued against them. The remaining four, however, had entered the country illegally, and criminal proceedings are currently underway on that basis.

The individuals are accused of a variety of offenses, including: premeditated murder under aggravating circumstances, including the murder of a minor, attempted murder, robbery, illegal deprivation of liberty, intentional infliction of severe bodily harm, creating and being a member of an organised criminal group, extortion, theft, illegal acquisition, storage, and carrying of firearms, drug-related crimes, document forgery, investment fraud and 178 episodes of embezzlement.

Additionally, during a search of one of the suspects, police confiscated a firearm and ammunition that the Turkish citizen was illegally storing.

The successful operation to locate and arrest the fugitives was the result of extensive operational and search activities. The planning and execution of these measures involved close cooperation between the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the General Prosecutor’s Office, and the State Security Service, as well as several Turkish agencies.

Key partners from Turkey included the Interpol Bureau, the Turkish National Police's organized crime units, and police and gendarmerie attachés from Turkey in Georgia.

The Georgian MIA extended its gratitude to its Turkish counterparts, emphasizing the long-standing and close cooperation between the two countries.

The Ministry stated that this successful joint operation is a clear example of their effective partnership and reaffirmed its commitment to the uncompromising fight against organized crime to ensure the safety of every citizen.