TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Taiwanese man has been ordered to serve 220 years in a Turkish prison for human trafficking, setting the record for the longest sentence for that crime in Turkey.
The Taiwanese national was arrested in the Turkish province of Antalya in April 2021 when anti-migrant smuggling teams from the gendarmerie of Kemer District acted on a tip, reported Hurriyet Daily News. After conducting an investigation, the man was found to have based his operations in the district.
According to the gendarmerie, the man had duped victims into coming to Turkey for alleged employment opportunities. However, once they arrived in Turkey, a total of 33 Taiwanese victims had their passports and cell phones taken away and were coerced into conducting telecom scams, reported Burdur Gazetesi.
Mobile phones and other devices seized at the scene. (Gendarmerie of Antalya's Kemer District photo)
On April 26, 2021, the gendarmerie launched a raid on the operation which led to the successful rescue of the trafficked individuals. The Taiwanese suspect was apprehended and placed in custody.
The Antalya Chief Public Prosecutor's Office then indicted the man for human trafficking. After the court found him guilty, he was handed a cumulative prison sentence of 220 years, which had been calculated by imposing a prison term of six years and eight months for each victim.
This is the longest prison term ever imposed for this offense, according to the governor's office of Antalya.