Istanbul police arrest ‘Mossad's financial network chief’ in Turkey

Turkish police have arrested a suspect believed to have been transferring money to operatives from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency in Turkey, a state broadcaster reported on Tuesday.

The suspect, identified as Liridon Rexhepi from Kosovo, entered Turkey on 25 August, and was detained last Friday and formally arrested on Tuesday, TRT Haber reported.

The report said he had confessed during interrogation that he conducted the money transfers.

"[He] was transferring money to field personnel in Turkey, who conducted drone shootings, carried out psychological operations against Palestinian politicians, and compiled information on the Syrian field upon the instructions of the Israeli Intelligence Service," it added.

He was initially detained on 30 August and subsequently confessed to the money transfers, the report said.

It added that Mossad transferred money to its field agents in Turkey via countries in Eastern Europe, particularly Kosovo.

The field agents then reportedly transferred the money to their Syrian sources, including in crypto currencies.

Since January, Turkish authorities have detained dozens of people, among them private investigators, on charges of collecting data on individuals, for Israeli intelligence.