Istanbul police uncover forged documents hidden in souvenir shipment

ISTANBUL

Istanbul police have uncovered a scheme involving the shipment of forged documents hidden in souvenir packages sent from Türkiye to European countries 

According to the city's anti-smuggling and border gate police, the operation targeted a network involved in sending fake passports, ID cards and other forged documents abroad, concealed among different items.

Authorities detected that the packages were first sent to cities within Türkiye to avoid detection, before being redirected to recipients in Europe.

Police raided the workplace during a delivery and detained two suspects in the act.

A search of the premises and the suspects' homes led to the seizure of scores of fake ID cards, passports from various countries, driver's licenses and visa stickers.

Investigators also found that payments for the deliveries were made through the “hawala” system, a form of underground banking often used for unregulated international money transfers.

In an additional operation following the raid, police detained 11 individuals believed to be linked to the “hawala” network.