Driver held at gunpoint, robbed of 2.5 million lira in Istanbul

A driver was allegedly robbed of approximately 2.5 million Turkish Lira (about $78,000 USD) at gunpoint in Istanbul's Barbaros neighborhood on June 23. The victim, identified as Ahmet Arabi, reportedly pulled over his vehicle to get water when two unidentified suspects approached. According to witness accounts, the suspects slashed the tires of Arabi's car with a knife before opening the doors. One suspect allegedly pointed a gun at Arabi while the other stole the cash from the vehicle. Police have launched an investigation and located the suspects' getaway vehicle abandoned in the Pendik district. Efforts to apprehend the individuals are ongoing. A local resident, Hikmet Bahadır, stated that this was the third time such an incident had happened to the victim. Another witness, Mecit Abdulkadir, described seeing the suspects slash the tires, point a gun at the driver, and flee with the money before police arrived and reviewed security footage.