Georgia detains 14 Turkish citizens wanted for various crimes in joint operation with Turkey

Law enforcement officers from the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, in cooperation with their Turkish counterparts, on Thursday detained 14 citizens of Turkey during a large-scale operation conducted across several locations in Georgia. According to officials, 11 of the detainees were wanted internationally under Interpol Red Notices issued by Turkish authorities.

The announcement was made during a briefing at the Ministry, where officials said the suspects were wanted for committing a range of criminal offenses. Among them are individuals accused of drug-related crimes, violence, fraud, threats, and committing indecent acts against a minor.

According to the Ministry, the operation was carried out over the past 24 hours as part of ongoing cooperation between Georgian law enforcement and partner countries to identify and detain foreign nationals wanted by other states who are present on Georgian territory.

Investigators determined that most of the detainees had entered Georgia before international warrants were issued against them, while some allegedly entered the country illegally. Relevant criminal procedures are underway in connection with those cases.

Authorities said the detainees are accused of committing serious and particularly serious crimes, including the production, sale, purchase and possession of narcotic and psychotropic substances, theft, intentional bodily harm, threats, illegal purchase and possession of firearms, property damage, indecent acts against a minor, evasion of serving a sentence, membership in a criminal organization, murder, and 26 episodes of fraud.

Legal procedures are currently being carried out to ensure the transfer of the detained individuals to Turkish justice.

Officials noted that locating and apprehending the suspects required extensive operational and investigative efforts. The operation involved several units of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Georgia, the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia, the Interpol National Central Bureau of Turkey, and organized crime units of the Turkish National Police, as well as police and gendarmerie attachés of Turkey accredited in Georgia.

Deputy Director of the Central Criminal Police Department of Georgia, Irakli Dondoladze, thanked Turkish colleagues currently in Georgia and highlighted the long-standing cooperation between the two countries in law enforcement.

He also noted that this is another successful joint operation carried out by Georgian and Turkish law enforcement agencies. In August last year, a similar joint operation resulted in the detention of 14 individuals who were also internationally wanted by Turkish police.