INTERPOL South Africa arrested a 40 year old Turkish fugitive in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal, who is wanted in Türkiye for rape and kidnapping. Image credit SAPS
A Turkish fugitive arrested in Isipingo, KwaZulu-Natal, now faces extradition to Türkiye on charges of rape, kidnapping and serious assault. INTERPOL South Africa’s Fugitive Investigation Team tracked down the 40 year old man in a joint operation on Thursday, 1 October.
Crime Intelligence, officers from Isipingo police station and private security helped with the arrest. Police have not released the man’s name.
The suspect appeared in the Umlazi Magistrates Court on Friday. There, Türkiye formally applied for his extradition so that he can stand trial in his home country.
Why the Turkish fugitive arrested in Isipingo is wanted
According to Turkish authorities, the man kidnapped his fiancée at the time in 2010. He then allegedly held her for several days and raped her repeatedly.
Furthermore, he allegedly beat her by repeatedly slamming her head against a wall. As a result, she suffered permanent physical and psychological harm. She was 22 years old at the time.
The case was first reported to police in Eskişehir, Türkiye. He faces charges of rape, sexual assault, kidnapping, malicious damage to property and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
After Turkish police finished their investigation, the suspect allegedly fled the country. Investigators later traced him to Isipingo, south of Durban.
Once South Africa received Türkiye’s extradition request, the INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Pretoria obtained a warrant under the Extradition Act. Officers then carried out the arrest.
Second Turkish fugitive arrested in two weeks
This is not the only case of its kind this month. On 21 September, INTERPOL South Africa arrested another Turkish fugitive in Cape Town. The man, a former primary school principal, is wanted in Türkiye on charges of sexual assault, kidnapping and intimidation involving a nine year old child. He has since appeared in the Cape Town Magistrates Court.
According to SAPS, these arrests show how police continue to work with law enforcement agencies around the world through INTERPOL. The aim is to find and arrest people who flee across borders to avoid justice.
For now, the Turkish fugitive arrested in Isipingo remains in custody as the extradition process continues.
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