Turkish intel detains private detective accused of spying for Mossad

ISTANBUL

The Turkish authorities have detained a private detective accused of working for Israel’s national intelligence agency Mossad in a joint operation with prosecutors and police in Istanbul, security sources said on Oct. 3.

The suspect, identified as Serkan Çiçek, was detained during the operation code-named Metron Activity, Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) informed the media.

Security officials said he had been working for Mossad and was in contact with Faysal Rasheed, a member of Israel’s Online Operations Center.

Çiçek allegedly admitted to carrying out surveillance in Istanbul, at Rasheed’s request, on a Palestinian activist who opposes Israel’s Middle East policies.

According to Turkish intelligence, Çiçek, whose real name is Muhammet Fatih Keleş, changed his name after falling heavily into debt and left his business career to establish a private firm, Pandora Detective Agency, in 2020.

He is said to have worked with Musa Kuş, who was sentenced to 19 years in prison for spying for Israel, and with lawyer Tuğrulhan Dip, both of whom were found guilty of selling personal data from public records to detectives for profit.

Officials said Çiçek drew the attention of Mossad after launching his detective work. On July 31, Rasheed allegedly contacted him via WhatsApp, introducing himself as an employee of a foreign law firm.

Rasheed then tasked Çiçek with conducting a four-day surveillance mission on a Palestinian activist living in Başakşehir, on the outskirts of Istanbul.

The private detective was reportedly paid $4,000 in cryptocurrency on Aug. 1 to carry out the assignment.

Çiçek learned that the target was a Palestinian activist after researching the name online, the Turkish intelligence said.

Despite knowing his associate Kuş had been jailed for spying for Israel, he accepted the job, the sources noted.

Authorities said Çiçek visited the address given by the Mossad agent but was unable to find the target. He entered the housing complex on Aug. 1-2 under the pretense of looking for an apartment to rent and carried out reconnaissance, but failed to gather the information Mossad had requested.

On Aug. 3, Rasheed cut off contact, according to officials.

In 2024, Türkiye nabbed dozens of people suspected of selling information to Mossad, with one of them working as a private detective.

The suspects were recruited to obtain information on Palestinian people residing in Türkiye.