Turkish intelligence announced the arrest of seven spies working for the Israeli Mossad, including Turks and Arabs holding Syrian and Lebanese nationalities. The Turkish newspaper "Daily Sabah" reported today, Monday, that a complex security operation was thwarted by the Turkish intelligence agency, indicating that Turkish security authorities successfully dismantled a cell operating for the Israeli Mossad after months of surveillance and investigation. The Turkish authorities apprehended seven members of this cell, which consists of a total of 56 individuals distributed across nine cells.
According to the report, this cell created fake websites in Arabic with the aim of collecting information from people's resumes. They used fake phone numbers from European and East Asian countries, such as Spain, England, Germany, Sweden, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Belgium, which were displayed on the front of the fake websites to attract job seekers or inquiries, and subsequently gathered intelligence information about them.
Additionally, the Turkish intelligence agency found that the Mossad agents in Turkey were in contact with Israeli communications expert "Brianshi Patel Kulhari," 24 years old, who manages "Cyberintellingence International Private Ltd" based in Tel Aviv, providing technical support on how to hack individuals' phones.
Reports indicate that the spies recruited to work for Mossad were sent to various areas in Lebanon and Syria for reconnaissance and intelligence purposes. Some notable figures in Hezbollah were tracked, including visits to a building they frequented in the Haret Hreik area of southern Beirut. The report continued, stating that the Mossad sent dozens of spies, including Turks, on secret tourism trips to three stations, starting from Serbia, then Dubai, up to Bangkok, Thailand, locations that do not require visas for Turkish citizens. From Bangkok, the operatives were transferred to a Mossad center to learn espionage techniques.
The Mossad operatives conducted various operations including marking targets for later strikes and spying on Hezbollah’s military leadership, according to the Turkish report.
"Daily Sabah" pointed out that the most prominent figure targeted by the Mossad cell was Jordanian Hisham Younis Yahya Qafisha, owner of "Trend GYO" in Istanbul, noting that his phone, personal computer, and other documents were stolen from his home in the Basaksehir area.
The report mentioned that Israeli intelligence tests the loyalty of its field agents by having them observe fake targets referred to as "white targets," such as mosques, churches, the Grand Bazaar, and the Egyptian Bazaar, to subsequently promote field agents.
Turkish intelligence also found that the Mossad developed complex methods, especially in Istanbul, to mislead Turkish authorities. It is worth noting that in May, a cell consisting of 15 Mossad agents was apprehended in Istanbul, according to Turkish media at that time.
It was also revealed that the agents received training in Europe from Mossad executives and were tasked with monitoring a company and 23 individuals with business ties to Iran.
The names of the arrested individuals were reported as: "Ahmed Koray Özgören," "Alperin Erkut," "Khaled Al-Nabhani," "Gezvan Amouri," "Nizar Saadeddin," "Mohammed Mori," and "Khaled Najm," all arrested in the city of Istanbul.
