AI-generated illustration

The Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office has ordered the detention of 60 suspects in the second phase of an investigation into visa consultancy firms accused of using automated software to seize consular appointments and charging citizens large fees.

Simultaneous operations were carried out across eight provinces under the coordination of the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command, targeting visa companies and the suspects who supplied them with software.

Payments under examination

The statement said findings showed extra charges of about 300 to 400 euros per transaction were collected from citizens on promises of bot software support, with additional benefits going to the people who used the software to obtain appointments. A preliminary financial review put the total value of collections linked to visa and consultancy services at about 370 million lira.

Work is continuing to identify transactions where services were not provided, were only partly provided, or were never refunded, in order to calculate the total loss suffered by citizens. Investigators are also examining the transfer of applicants' passport images, identity and contact details to third parties, and the collection of service fees through accounts belonging to companies, partners, employees and other individuals before the money was moved to other accounts and financial channels.

In the first operation carried out within the same investigation, 37 of the suspects taken into custody were arrested on 14 August.

Key takeaways

• Detention orders were issued for 60 suspects in the second phase of the Istanbul visa consultancy investigation.
• Operations ran simultaneously in eight provinces, including Istanbul, Ankara and Izmir, under the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command.
• Prosecutors say bot software grabbed limited consular appointments, with extra charges of about 300-400 euros per transaction.
• A preliminary financial review put collections tied to the services at about 370 million lira; 37 suspects were arrested on 14 August in the first operation.