Seven people have been detained in Turkey following the theft of $30 million from vehicles parked in an Istanbul housing complex, according to reports. The case has drawn attention to potential links to previous financial crimes.
Istanbul police launched an investigation on February 11 after receiving a report that a substantial amount of money had been stolen from two cars in a parking garage in the Bakırköy district.
Bilal Durmaz, identified as the victim, told authorities he had been storing $30 million – equivalent to 1.3 billion Turkish lira – in the two vehicles for three months after closing his foreign exchange bureau in the Tahtakale area. He stated he kept the money in the cars rather than depositing it in a bank.
Security camera footage from the parking garage shows individuals arriving in a car and transferring packages from the parked vehicles into their own. Investigators identified additional suspects through surrounding surveillance camera footage.
Simultaneous police operations were conducted in Istanbul, Antalya, and Kocaeli on February 14, leading to the arrest of seven suspects.
Police recovered $1,670,500, 13,200 Turkish lira, 860 pills suspected of being narcotics, and three firearms – two unregistered and one blank – during searches of the suspects’ residences.
“Didn’t demand it” so he kept it in the cars for three months
During questioning, Durmaz explained to police why he chose to store the money in the vehicles instead of a bank. “Given that of the nature of my work, it’s troublesome for me to deposit and withdraw money from the bank, so I was carrying the money in the vehicle,” he said. “This money hadn’t been needed for three months, so it just stayed there.” He added that his company’s capital in 2025 was 40 million Turkish lira and that his lawyer would submit documentation of the company’s revenue.
Durmaz further stated that he had moved his foreign exchange bureau, Mestur Döviz, from Laleli to Tahtakale approximately three months prior:
“It operates under the title Mestur Döviz Altın Limited Authorized Institution Anonymous Company, and I am the sole owner. I don’t remember exactly how much revenue the foreign exchange bureau generates. I have been doing the same business for about three years. With my move to the novel address, I brought the $30 million in cash from the foreign exchange bureau to my residence (all the money was in $100 bills).
“For the past three months, I have kept the money in cash in a Ford Ranger with license plate 34 EOS 86 and an Audi A 6 with license plate 34 BJK 747, split equally between the two vehicles.”
Victim’s father previously arrested on ‘money laundering’ charges
Anadolu Agency (AA) reported that Durmaz is the son of Atilla Durmaz, the owner of Taç Döviz, who was arrested on charges of “money laundering.”
Taç Döviz (Durmaz Gold) is mentioned in the indictment prepared in connection with an investigation focused on Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (İBB).
According to the indictment, the company’s owners allegedly held money for “different criminal groups” as a “custodian” starting in 2018. The case highlights the potential for illicit financial activity within the region.
