Faruk Fatih Ozer, a Turkish businessman wanted for allegedly defrauding investors in his cryptocurrency platform of some EUR 2.7 billion, has been arrested in the south of Albania.
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.
On Tuesday, Elbasan police announced they had arrested him in connection with charges in Turkey of “creating a criminal organisation” and “fraud with serious consequences”.
Fatih was found living in a rental property and was on holiday with two Albanian citizens in Palasa at the time of his arrest.
“Thanks to the use of proactive methods by DVP Elbasan, in cooperation with the Prosecution of the Elbasan Judicial District, the coded police operation “Brain” was organized and finalized. In the framework of this operation, the Turkish citizen FO, 28 years old, was arrested and detained,” the State Police announced.
They also said that laptops, bank cards, mobiles, and passports were seized at the time of arrest.
