Türkiye detains 68 in $2.2 billion illegal betting probe

Turkish police have detained 68 people in Istanbul as part of a large-scale operation targeting suspected money laundering linked to illegal betting and gambling, state media reported on Friday, July 10.

The investigation was launched by the cybercrime unit of the Istanbul Security Directorate under the coordination of the Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office, based on an analytical report by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), according to TRT Haber.

Authorities said the suspects are believed to have channelled large sums through electronic money transfer systems, dispersing the funds across multiple bank accounts before moving a substantial portion to cryptocurrency platforms. Payment descriptions reportedly contained references indicating links to illegal betting and gambling activities.

Law enforcement officials said more than 100,000 transactions, totalling 76,284,877,311 Turkish lira (approximately $2.22 billion), passed through the accounts under investigation. A significant share of the funds was converted into the stablecoin USDT and transferred to external crypto wallets in an apparent attempt to obscure the origin of the money.

Police carried out coordinated raids after identifying the suspects and their locations, detaining all 68 individuals. The suspects have been taken into custody for further questioning and investigative procedures.

By Tamilla Hasanova