WhatsApp messages between a Turkish prosecutor and a former police officer who was his alleged cohort in a network involving Turks and Iranian intelligence operatives show how they are paid for helping Iranians abduct dissidents.

D.Y. was arrested in February on charges of helping Iranian intelligence operatives to abduct dissidents who took shelter in Turkey. He is accused of supplying information about dissidents’ whereabouts to Iranian spies and giving them a car with a Justice Ministry tag for use in abductions.

Prosecutors in Istanbul had recently wrapped up an indictment against D.Y. and others, including M.E., a former police officer who was allegedly working under D.Y. in the criminal gang the prosecutors say also involved a security company owner.

Sixteen people have been detained in the case, while a hearing date is not yet set. They are accused of running a criminal organization, obtaining confidential information for political or military espionage and kidnapping.

The correspondence between D.Y. and M.E. is included in the indictment, which says the prosecutor asked Iranian intelligence operatives to pay $150,000 in exchange for helping them to abduct two Iranian dissidents. A message from Y. to E. shows he asks him if "money was sent from Iran" to a bank account.

Another message sent by D.Y. to M.E. includes a photo of dollar bills with a cryptic message written on the bills: Alex 2020-5-29. D.Y. asks him to forward it to "Mikail-Angel" a code name given to I.S., owner of the security company and one of the defendants in the case.

Prosecutors say D.Y. acted as a key member of the organization, helping them overcome any legal and bureaucratic hurdles to access information about dissidents and facilitate their abduction.