OMM Newsroom
Richard James Schueler, a US national reportedly wanted under an Interpol Red Notice over alleged $1 billion cryptocurrency fraud in the US and Finland, has been detained in Istanbul, Turkish Justice Minister Akin Gurlek announced on Saturday.
“US citizen Richard James Schueler, who was reported to our authorities as having an Interpol Red Notice issued against him on allegations of carrying out a $1 billion crypto-asset fraud in the US and Finland, was apprehended and taken into custody in Istanbul,” Gurlek said on the Turkish social media platform “NSosyal”, according to Anadolu Agency.
In a post titled “Türkiye will not be a safe haven for transnational criminals and wanted suspects”, Gurlek said Turkish security and intelligence agencies were working in close coordination to prevent the country from becoming a refuge for wanted individuals and to ensure internationally sought suspects are apprehended and brought to justice.
The suspect’s location was established in an operation by the Istanbul Police Department’s intelligence and financial crimes units, coordinated by the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and supported by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), Gurlek said.
Schueler and his wife were detained on Wednesday during an operation in Istanbul’s Besiktas district. Three other people, identified as the couple’s bodyguards, were also detained as the investigation continued.
During judicial searches at 15 addresses in the Besiktas, Uskudar and Sariyer districts, authorities seized $7.15 million and 160,000 Turkish liras ($3,231), six cryptocurrency cold wallets, 300 bags of various brands, 100 pairs of shoes, 136 pairs of glasses, 28 wristwatches, 97 pieces of jewellery and other valuables.
Investigators also confiscated 29 mobile phones, 12 laptops, 11 desktop computer towers, 19 solid-state drives and external storage devices, 46 USB flash drives, 19 graphics cards, four long-barrelled rifles, three unlicensed handguns and 1,400 rounds of ammunition.
Gurlek said judicial proceedings against the suspects and examinations of the seized materials were ongoing. He thanked the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, relevant units of the Istanbul Police Department, MIT and all public officials involved in the operation.
