Elbasan Prosecutor’s Office has filed in the Court of the First Instance, the request to extradite the cryptocurrency boss wanted for fraud, Faruk Fatih Ozer, to Turkey.
The Turkish justice authorities have transmitted through the Ministry of Justice the complete materials related to the request for his extradition.
He allegedly hid for almost a year in Albania until he was arrested in a resort on the south coast a few weeks ago. It was discovered he had been living in an aparment in Elbasan in the centre of the country for the rest of the time.
Ozer will remain in custody until a decision is taken.
Ozer was the owner of cryptocurrency exchange Thodex, which displayed a “temporarily suspended” notification on its website back in April 2021, sending account holders into a panic. He was shortly spotted leaving Istanbul Airport, and it was then reported he was hiding out in a hotel in Tirana.
Dead or Disappeared? The Trail of Turkey’s Biggest Crypto Scammer Goes Cold
The scam is believed to be the biggest in Turkish history, with between 400,000 and 700,000 victims. Turkish media reported at the time that his girlfriend had dumped him just before he shut down the site and went on the run.
Following the arrest of 68 other suspects, a Turkish prosecutor has proceeded with charges against 21 of them. They are seeking up to 40,564 years in prison for each suspect, including the wanted founder.
Dead or Disappeared? The Trail of Turkey’s Biggest Crypto Scammer Goes Cold
However, little had been heard of Fatih since the reported sighting in Tirana in 2021, with some speculating he was dead.
The request comes days after another Turkish citizen, Emre Olur was deported within hours of being arrested, despite requesting asylum.
Olur is wanted for a raft of offences in Turkey, including membership of a criminal organisation, assault, threats, and various charges of insulting. It is believed he left Turkey for North Macedonia in May 2021 before trying to go to Dubai. He was deported and travelled to Serbia before crossing to Albania.
“As a result of the direct contact established by the Albanian General Directorate of Security, Albanian Interpol and the Ministers of the Interior, the person who was determined to cross from Serbia to Albania Tirana was taken into custody by the Albanian police at Tirana Airport on 17.09.2022 at 06:00,” the Turkish Minister of Interior said in a statement.
He was then arrested upon arriving at the airport and then sent to Istanbul, where he will face interrogation and criminal proceedings, they added.
Olur’s Albanian lawyer, Arben Llangozi, said he was deported without undergoing the correct legal process, adding he had requested asylum in Albania, fearing his life would be in danger if he returned to Turkey.
Under the law, an asylum request can be made verbally or in writing and must go through all proper legal channels. Considering the short time frame between his landing in Tirana and being deported (several hours), concerns have been raised that the law was not followed.
“The law on asylum made in 2021, clearly defines that when a foreigner addresses the country with an asylum request, he must be taken immediately to a designated place of residence and provided a temporary residence permit as the process takes six months, and he cannot be deported immediately.”
