Man founds wallet on the floor in Lefkosia, sent over 1,000 TL with contactless payment

Man who sent on a shopping spree with a credit he found on the ground in Lefkosia has been detained on the other of a court in north Cyprus.

The suspect, named only as İ.E., a Turkish national at around 1:30am on January 19 on Fazıl Küçük Boulevard, reportedly found a wallet belonging to one SM. The wallet contained a Turkish driving license, 600 TL and 3 credit cards. 

He then went on a spending spree with the card.

He was identified and arrested following a complaint.

He was brought to the Lefkosia District Court on Tuesday, January, 30.

Police in a court statement said the suspect used the credit card to pay 192 TL from a market in Hamitköy, 56 TL from a market named Okmar in the same place, 650 TL from a business named Ülker Store in Famagusta, 71 TL from a business named Tulin Market, and 82 TL from a business named Meyhane Kültür. 

Police stated that he stole a total of 1,600 TL by making a contactless transaction worth 50 TL at a workplace named Adres Butik in the Mehmetçik District and 500 TL at the Sanchez London Barber Shop in the same area.

Police said that as a result of the investigation, the suspect was identified and arrested in a barber shop in the Mehmetçik region on January 29.

Police said that during the search on the suspect, a wallet and a driving license belonging to the complainant were detected in the wallet.

The suspect gave a voluntary statement containing a confession.

During immigration check, it was determined that the suspect entered the north of Cyprus on December 14, 2023 with a 30-day tourist visa and was residing without permission as of January 13, 2024.

Police said investigation was continuing, that there were statements to be taken, signs sought and camera footage to be examined, and requested that the suspect be detained in police custody for 3 days.