Gendarmerie raids 8 provinces over 60 suspects who bulk-booked visa appointments with bots

In an investigation led by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, a gendarmerie operation was carried out in 8 provinces, centered on Istanbul, targeting 60 suspects found to have bulk-booked visa appointments with "bot" software, making it harder for citizens to find appointments directly.

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Teams from the Istanbul Provincial Gendarmerie Command acted simultaneously in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bursa, Antalya, Balikesir, Denizli and Kocaeli. In the second phase of the investigation, run by the Organized Crimes Investigation Bureau, authorities moved to apprehend 60 suspects for whom detention warrants had been issued.

"Guaranteed visa" promises and extra fee allegation

According to the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, the suspects took payments from citizens via social media and the internet by promising "guaranteed visas" and "guaranteed appointments". They were alleged not to have refunded all or part of the money when the service was not provided. According to findings in the file, an extra fee of about 300-400 euros was charged per transaction.

Digital material and messages examined by investigators indicate that bots rapidly collected the limited appointment slots in the systems of consulates and authorized application centers. The Prosecutor's Office assessed that this method made it harder for individual applicants to get appointments, pushing them toward paid intermediaries, and that obtaining appointments had "effectively become a black market".

Collections and charges

Preliminary financial examination reports put total collections linked to visa and consultancy services at about 370 million lira. Authorities are examining whether the whole amount is fraud income. The suspects are being investigated on charges of aggravated fraud, unlawfully giving or seizing personal data, cybercrimes and laundering of assets derived from crime. Allegations that applicants' passport and identity details were passed to third parties are also being investigated.

The Prosecutor's Office expanded the investigation after determining that some individuals and companies had continued operating despite the first operation, while others tried to exploit the gap in the market. The operation covers visa firms alleged to have taken over appointment systems, as well as people believed to have provided software support to them.