At least 48 people have already been arrested in cities in southern Turkey for looting homes and businesses after the earthquake that hit the country and Syria last week. The information is from AFP based on reports from Turkish security services.
The largest number of arrests took place in Hatay state, with cities heavily affected by the earthquake. According to the authorities, there are 42 detainees.
Looters are taking advantage of the destruction and the flight of residents to invade properties and take what they can. Because of this, a decree was published this Saturday (11) allowing prosecutors to detain suspected looters for seven days, not four.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the country was under a state of emergency, and that “people involved in looting or kidnapping should know that the firm hand of the state will be on them”.
The earthquake that hit the border region between Turkey and Syria has killed more than 28,000 people since last Monday (6), a number that the UN believes could double over the days of rescue.
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