Woman wanted for shopping with a stolen credit card in northern Cyprus arrested two years later

A 31-year-old woman, wanted in connection with a major fraud case in Güzelyurt, has been arrested two years after the incident. 

The suspect named only as AVS, 31, a resident of South Cyprus was wanted for shopping at many stores in Northern Cyprus in 2023 using a stolen credit card from South Cyprus.

She was arrested on Friday April, 25, two years after the incident while crossing into Northern Cyprus through Lokmacı.

According to police statement, the woman made purchases worth 413,465 TL in Güzelyurt between September 15–18, 2023, using a credit card that had been stolen in September 2023.

During the course of the ongoing investigation, A.V.S., who was being sought as a suspect, was identified on Friday April 25, 2025 while entering Northern Cyprus through the Lokmacı Land Border Crossing and was arrested on charges of "obtaining credit by fraud."

Police in a court statement said, the investigation began on October 20, 2023, after G.N. (77), a South Cyprus resident, reported that his and his spouse’s bank cards had been stolen from their home in October 2023. Upon reviewing their accounts, the victim discovered unauthorized transactions had been made in Northern Cyprus.

The investigation revealed that the suspect had used the stolen cards to make purchases totaling 413,465 TL between September 15–18, 2023, in Güzelyurt. Two additional suspects connected to the case remain at large, and arrest warrants were issued against them on November 1, 2023.

Following her arrest, she provided a voluntary statement, which police are working to verify as part of the ongoing investigation.

Due to the ongoing nature of the case and the involvement of additional suspects, the court, presided over by Judge Mine Serden Gündüz, ordered that the suspect remain in police custody for three more days.