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Official confirmation of the arrest and custody status from Turkish or Finnish authorities
Precise details and quantities of items seized during the operation
Turkish media reported on October 14, 2026, that Richard Heart, the founder of cryptocurrency projects HEX, PulseChain and PulseX, whose legal name is Richard James Schueler, was detained in Istanbul.
According to reports from outlets including Sözcü, Haberler and Ihlas News Agency, the operation was carried out by Turkey’s National Intelligence Organization (MİT) and local police in the Beşiktaş district, where Heart and his wife, identified as A.K., were apprehended following surveillance.
The detention is linked to an Interpol Red Notice issued at Finland’s request over alleged aggravated tax fraud; some accounts also reference assault allegations.
Reported items seized during searches at the residence vary across accounts and include cash (figures cited range from hundreds of thousands to around $4 million), luxury watches (counts from around two dozen to 64), jewelry, firearms, electronic devices, laptops, phones and drones.
Turkish authorities, Interpol and Finnish officials have not issued public confirmations of the custody status or details of the operation as of the latest reports.
Heart has faced prior regulatory scrutiny, including a U.S. SEC case filed in 2023 that was later dismissed.
