TURKISH police detained seven more people today on suspicion of selling information to Israeli spy agency Mossad.

The suspects were taken into custody during simultaneous raids in Istanbul, Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya said on social media platform X. 

They are believed to have collected data on individuals and companies in Turkey and sold it to the Israeli intelligence agency, Mr Yerlikaya said. 

“We will never allow espionage activities to be carried out within the borders of our country,” he insisted.

The state-run Anadolu Agency, citing unnamed security officials, said that those detained included a former civil servant turned private detective who was allegedly trained by Mossad in the Serbian capital Belgrade. 

He reportedly collected information on Middle Eastern companies and individuals, even placing tracking devices in the vehicles of people targeted by Israeli intelligence, Anadolu said.

Last month, seven other people, including private detectives, were arrested on similar suspicions. And in early January, 34 people were also detained by Turkish police on suspicion of spying for Israel.

The suspects arrested in January have been accused of planning to carry out activities that included reconnaissance and “pursuing, assaulting and kidnapping” foreign nationals living in Turkey.