Interpol was calling with a red notice. Cryptocurrency fraudster caught in Istanbul

Minister of Justice Akın Gürlek announced that US citizen Richard James Schueler, who was reported to have been issued a red notice by Interpol for allegedly committing a $1 billion crypto asset fraud in the USA and Finland, was caught and detained in Istanbul.

It was determined that the suspect was in Istanbul, as a result of the work carried out by the Intelligence and Financial Crimes Branch Directorates of our Istanbul Police Department, under the coordination of our Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office, with the support of our National Intelligence Organization.

Schueler and his wife were detained in the operation carried out in Beşiktaş on October 14, 2026. As part of the ongoing investigations, 3 more people who were identified as Schueler's bodyguards were caught and detained.

A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY, A LOT OF DIGITAL MATERIALS AND WEAPONS WERE SEIZED

During the judicial searches carried out at a total of 15 addresses in Beşiktaş, Üsküdar and Sarıyer districts, 7 million 150 thousand US dollars and 160 thousand liras were seized. During the searches, 6 cold wallets, 300 bags of different brands, 100 pairs of shoes, 136 glasses, 28 wristwatches, 97 pieces of jewelry and various valuable items were found.

Within the scope of digital materials, 29 mobile phones, 12 laptops, 11 computer cases, 19 SSDs and external disks, 46 USB sticks and 19 video cards were seized. During the searches, 4 long-barreled rifles, 3 unlicensed pistols and 1,400 cartridges were seized.

Judicial proceedings against the suspects and investigations into the seized materials continue.

“Türkiye WILL NOT BE THE SHELTER OF WANTED SUSPECTS”

Minister Gürlek, who gave the message in his statements that Türkiye will not be a shelter for cross-border crimes and wanted suspects, said, "We continue our work with determination, with the strong coordination of our security and intelligence units, to prevent our country from becoming a place where people wanted for crimes can take refuge, to catch people wanted at the international level and to prevent them from escaping from justice."

Emphasizing that they will not allow anyone to see Turkey as a safe haven where they can escape from justice, Gürlek said, "We will continue to protect the security of our country and further strengthen our international cooperation in the fight against transnational crimes."