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Seven suspects accused of selling information to the Israeli intelligence service Mossad were detained in a joint operation by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT) and Istanbul police, authorities said on Monday. Suspects included a private investigator.
Last month, Turkish authorities apprehended another seven suspects accused of selling information to Mossad in operations by MIT and Istanbul police. That operation was followed by another investigation earlier that netted 34 suspects, including foreign nationals recruited by Mossad to spy on Palestinian targets in Türkiye.
Security sources said one of the suspects was H.T.A, who works as a private investigator. H.T.A. was a former police chief in Istanbul’s Güngören district and a TV personality speaking on security matters. MIT discovered that H.T.A. leaked information to Mossad for cash and that information was related to people from Middle Eastern countries and companies with links to Middle Eastern countries in Türkiye. H.T.A. is accused of recruiting other public officials to assist him in espionage for the Israeli intelligence service.
Sources said a Mossad operative codenamed “Victoria” contacted H.T.A. and he was first assigned “simple tasks.” The Turkish man was later trained in Belgrade by Mossad operatives in 2019. He was also instructed to use an encrypted messaging app to contact the operatives. Security sources said he was paid in cryptocurrency to hide the money transfers.
H.T.A. was also involved in “threats” and “stalking” involving his targets. He fitted tracking devices in the vehicles of his targets and conveyed up-to-date information about their whereabouts to Mossad.
