Turkish law enforcement authorities have detained 37 suspects during a large-scale operation targeting illegal betting and money laundering activities across eight provinces. The operation was spearheaded by the Istanbul Police Department's Financial Crimes Investigation Bureau under the coordination of the Istanbul Chief Public Prosecutor's Office.
Operative Information Center-OMM reports that the investigation was launched following detailed reports from the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK). Investigators focused on the activities of "Papel Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri A.S.", a payment services firm suspected of facilitating the movement of illicit funds.
Technical and physical surveillance revealed that the company allegedly mediated the laundering of proceeds from illegal betting operations. The suspects are accused of using POS terminals for unauthorized purposes and executing suspicious fund transfers to obscure the origin of the money. During the raids, police seized a significant amount of digital evidence and documents related to the criminal enterprise.
This crackdown is part of Turkey's broader strategy to combat the shadow economy and financial crimes. In recent years, Turkish authorities have intensified oversight of electronic payment platforms and fintech companies to prevent the exploitation of digital financial systems by organized crime syndicates. The investigation into the network's full scope and potential international links is currently ongoing.
