According to the Turkish newspaper Habertürk, police recently managed to arrest a gang of five extortionists in Merter, a suburb west of Istanbul, one of the country's largest cities. This was the first crime in Turkey to steal cryptocurrency. The attackers managed to steal 450 bitcoins worth more than $3.54 million from a Turkish businessman this week, according to the newspaper.
Gang members dressed as police officers kidnapped a businessman, locked him in a van and demanded his bank account passwords while holding him at gunpoint. He was held there for eight hours before being released.
After the incident, the businessman contacted the police and filed a criminal complaint. The police immediately began investigating the case and, since the gang members did not cover their tracks well, the police quickly managed to identify the perpetrators.
After the identities of the bandits became known, the authorities began to monitor them, trying to find out where to look for the stolen funds. It is still unknown whether they were returned to the businessman or not.
The police operation was successful. The bandits were caught red-handed while they were trying to kidnap another businessman. During the investigation, it was also discovered that gang members were involved in several thefts of Bitcoin mining devices.
According to reports, the gang leader was found guilty of extortion and sentenced to 30 years in prison. According to Daily Sabah, another suspect, a member of the same gang who was also accused of extortion, managed to escape.
The businessman paid for showing off his wealth.
Apparently, the gang members chose this particular businessman as a hostage after seeing the photos he posted on social networks. In the photographs, the businessman openly boasts of his financial situation and extravagant lifestyle.
According to cryptocoinsnews.com
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