Turkey Arrests German Interpol Fugitive Planning Plastic Surgery to Evade Jail

Turkish police in Istanbul arrested 32-year-old Michel Hassan A., an Interpol fugitive wanted by Germany, just as he was about to undergo plastic surgery under a false identity to evade a prison sentence.

The suspect fled Germany via Dubai and arrived in Istanbul about three months ago, before an international arrest warrant was issued against him. According to the investigation, the move to Turkey aimed to secure a new appearance and fake identity to dodge a final prison sentence and ongoing criminal proceedings in Germany.

The escape plan was thwarted when detectives raided the clinic where he planned to undergo the aesthetic procedure. Alongside his arrest, local police detained seven other suspects allegedly involved in the network.

During raids on apartments rented by the group in Istanbul's Maltepe district, officers discovered covert call centers intended to operate scams from within Turkey. Seven unlicensed handguns, an automatic rifle, a silencer, dozens of mobile phones, and cash were seized.

According to German police, the network specialized in systematically defrauding hundreds of citizens, mostly elderly, amassing an estimated four million euros. All eight suspects were brought before a court for remand hearings and extradition procedures.