Counterfeit banknotes worth $80,000 seized in Ankara, 2 detained

The Ankara Provincial Gendarmerie Command (KOM) Branch Directorate conducted an operation at an address in Diriliş neighborhood under the charge of 'counterfeiting currency.' A search of the premises yielded counterfeit banknotes valued at $80,050; two suspects were taken into custody.

According to information, the operation was planned following technical and field investigations. The amount of counterfeit dollars, when calculated at current TL exchange rates, totals approximately 2.7 million lira — equivalent to 150 times the monthly rent of a mid-range apartment in Ankara.

In the operation that will be investigated by the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, it remains unclear how the suspects obtained the counterfeit money. In past counterfeiting cases brought to court in Turkey, judges have handed down sentences ranging from 3 to 8 years imprisonment. The suspects have been referred to judicial authorities for questioning.