48 arrested for robbing, cheating earthquake survivors in Turkey

Istanbul:

Turkish state media reported on Saturday that Turkish authorities have arrested 48 people accused of robbing or trying to defraud victims following a powerful earthquake in Turkey.

Anadolu news agency said suspects were held in eight different provinces as part of an investigation into looting after Monday’s 7.8-magnitude earthquake.

It later reported that 42 suspects were held for robbery in southern Hatay province, while six were arrested for deceiving a victim by telephone in Gaziantep.

The earthquake and aftershocks killed about 26,000 people in Turkey and Syria.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Tuesday declared a three-month state of emergency in 10 provinces of southeastern Turkey hit by the earthquake.

According to a decree published in the Official Gazette on Saturday, prosecutors can now detain people for robbery offenses for an additional three days from four days earlier as part of powers extended under the state of emergency.

Erdogan vowed earlier on Saturday that Turkey would crack down on looters.

“We have declared a state of emergency,” he said during a tour of earthquake-hit Diyarbakir province.

Erdogan said, “This means that from now on, those involved in robbery or kidnapping should know that the strong hand of the state is on their back.”

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