Authorities filed a lawsuit against four Chinese nationals on charges of smuggling people from China and forcing them to work in Istanbul in illegal jobs. Suspects face charges carrying prison terms of up to 15 years. They were caught in police raids in Istanbul in April 2021 after tip-offs that they were forcing people to work for illegal betting activities after seizing their passports. More than 40 victims, including Chinese and Taiwanese nationals, were rescued by police.

Chief Prosecutor’s Office accused suspects – 41-year-old C.S., 21-year-old C.J., 28-year-old L.J. and 29-year-old W.M. – of "human smuggling" and gambling-related crimes. They will appear before a court in Istanbul in November.

The indictment against suspects includes testimonies of more than 35 victims who were found in two residential buildings in the city’s Üsküdar and Sarıyer districts. Victims say they traveled to Türkiye with job promises and were taken to the houses where their passports were forcefully taken from them. They claimed suspects forced them to work for two online betting sites, which are illegal in China. They told prosecutors they were not allowed to leave home alone.

İ.Ö., a Turkish eyewitness in the case, said he was working as a driver for someone he knew as "Alimire" and helped with the accommodation of the Chinese nationals traveling abroad, as well as providing them food and water. İ.Ö. said each house had "someone in charge," and victims were not allowed to go out alone without his knowledge. "I don’t know what they were doing but I knew they were working online. (Each suspect) had their own apartment. I was tasked with delivering money sent to them after taking it from someplace in Kapalıçarşı (Istanbul’s Covered Bazaar where money exchange offices are located)."

C.S. denied charges and claimed he was in Istanbul for a tourist visit but could not return home due to the coronavirus pandemic. "I rented a house with my friend C.J. I earned money through games I played online. Nobody was held by force in those houses. I did not do anything illegal," he said. W.M. said he was only helping "others" to boost their levels in online games and was paid in return. "I never provided a place for gambling or held anyone against his will," he said. L.J. said he only visited Türkiye for investment and planned to open a Chinese restaurant in the country, denying charges.

Prosecutors say most victims withdrew their complaints but the lawsuit would proceed due to the nature of the crime. The indictment says victims were exploited as labor force as "customer representatives" working for an illegal betting website based in China. Defendants are accused of deceiving the victims and exploiting "their desperation."