Türkiye issues Interpol red notice over courthouse gold heist

ISTANBUL

Turkish authorities have issued an Interpol red notice for a former courthouse employee and his wife after large quantities of seized precious metals were stolen from a courthouse in Istanbul and the couple fled abroad, local media reported on Dec. 17.

The theft was uncovered at a courthouse in Istanbul’s Büyükçekmece after officials noticed that a staff member assigned to the evidence storage unit had not reported to work for an extended period.

An internal inspection revealed that approximately 25 kilograms of gold and 50 kilograms of silver, estimated to be worth around 147 million Turkish Liras ($3.4 million) kept as judicial evidence, were missing.

Investigators identified the suspect as Erdal Timurtaş, a service officer working at the courthouse.

Prosecutors ordered the detention of Timurtaş and another individual who held a key to the storage room. The second suspect, identified as Kemal D., was taken into custody.

Further inquiries showed that Erdal Timurtaş and his wife, Esma Timurtaş, left Türkiye with their children on Nov. 19, fleeing to the United Kingdom.