The gang, which had stolen more than 15 million Turkish lira (1.5 million euros) by breaking into the houses of many celebrities in Turkey, was arrested. The house of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew in Constantinople was also burgled in November 2019.
Six of the eight suspects were arrested, while the gang leader, Ali Riza Ts, is still on the run. The so-called “Elite” gang had broken into more than 14 houses within 2 months, including those of famous actors, journalists and businesspeople. Their total booty is estimated at 15 million Turkish Lira (1.5 million euros) as reported by ethnos.gr.
Their first burglary was the house of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on November 16, 2019. The patriarch’s assistant, Elenitsa Sarigianopoulou, had then alerted the Turkish police when she saw the living room window broken and the lights on.
The burglary took place while Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew was participating in a social event in the center of Constantinople. The masked burglars searched the premises of the house without stealing any object.