A suspect accused of mailing forged passports, identity cards and driver's licenses abroad through cargo shipments has been arrested in Istanbul as part of an investigation into migrant smuggling involving forged official documents, police said on Sunday.
The operation was carried out by teams from the Istanbul Police Department's Anti-Migrant Smuggling and Border Gates Division, which launched an investigation to prevent migrant smuggling facilitated through counterfeit official documents.
As part of the probe, officers inspected shipments at the international transfer center of a cargo company.
The search uncovered 12 cargo packages prepared under different names, concealing four forged passports, six forged identity cards and nine forged driver's licenses destined for overseas delivery.
Investigators subsequently identified the suspect believed to have submitted the packages.
The suspect, identified by the initials A.E.M., was detained while attempting to deliver another shipment to the cargo center.
A search of the newly delivered cargo boxes uncovered four forged visa stickers, a passport, an identity card, a driver's license, an entry-exit silicone stamp and two mobile phones, police said.
The seized materials were taken into evidence as investigators continued their examination of the alleged forgery operation.
Following procedures at the police station, A.E.M. was referred to judicial authorities on charges of forgery of official documents. The suspect was subsequently arrested by the court pending trial.
