On April 21, Turkish police conducted a major operation across 41 regions, including Istanbul, Ankara, Antalya, and Izmir, as part of a Diyarbakir prosecutor's investigation into payment mediation related to illegal betting and money laundering.
According to the report from Turkey's Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), 111 suspects were detained, with the total volume of transactions on their bank accounts amounting to $796.4 million. The operation also led to the seizure of 190 bank and cryptocurrency accounts, as well as nine vehicles and motorcycles, and two plots of land valued at a total of $238,700.
On the same day, Istanbul gendarmerie carried out a separate operation in six regions (Istanbul, Ankara, Aydin, Kayseri, Bingol, Rize) against the payment company MYPAYZ Elektronik Para ve Ödeme Hizmetleri A.Ş. This operation was part of a separate investigation by the Istanbul prosecutor's office.
Out of 23 suspects, 20 were detained, while three remain at large. The prosecutor's office claims that MYPAYZ played a central role in the financial infrastructure of illegal betting and the legalization of related revenues, with a turnover of $111 million.