The Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor's Office issued a detention order for 46 suspects in an illegal betting investigation carried out in eight provinces yesterday. Some 46 suspects were detained in a simultaneous operation in Ankara, Batman, Bingöl, Kayseri, Kırıkkale, Muş, Van and Yozgat, and $40 million of cryptocurrency was confiscated.
According to the statement made by the Office of the Chief Public Prosecutor, the Smuggling and Organized Crime Investigation Bureau issued the detention order against the Ankara-based criminal organization that was found to be violating Law No. 7258, the Law on Arrangement of Betting and Games of Chance in Football and Other Sports Competitions.
It was determined that the suspects mediated the transfer of money obtained from illegal betting, and sent the money collected in their accounts to the cryptocurrency asset accounts of the criminal organization, including Halil Falyalı, his wife and the casino manager. The statement noted that Halil Falyalı was a Turkish Cypriot tycoon and was at the center of allegations regarding his leading role in the illegal betting businesses that he ran on the island, along with money laundering claims. On Feb. 8, 2022, he was shot dead in an assault in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus' (TRNC) city of Girne (Kyrenia), near his home.
A net amount of TL 2.5 billion worth of cryptocurrency was transferred to the cryptocurrency accounts of a group of 11 people, including Falyalı and his wife, sending TL 118,000 with 148 transactions.
Minister of Interior Süleyman Soylu said regarding the illegal betting investigation: "This operation came out of Turkish Cyprus and is linked to the murder of Halil Falyalı. A transfer of approximately TL 2.5 billion of money occurred. Approximately $40 million of money has been confiscated at the moment. But this is just the beginning."
He responded to a query from journalists following the 13th Migration Board Meeting, which was held in Gölbaşı, Ankara. "We have supplied these files to those nations in an effort to create a condition that prevents unlawful betting from happening anywhere in the world, including Europe, the center of such activities," he said. Additionally, allegations that Türkiye makes money from crime and illegal gambling are wrong. Türkiye is collaborating with all of its institutions to block organized crime's cryptocurrency transactions and earnings, he explained.
Soylu claimed that Türkiye seeks self-help in every matter and that a very successful operation was carried out by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK) and the General Directorate of Security with all of its sections, including smuggling, organized crime and intelligence. According to Soylu, countries will struggle to combat financial crimes on their own if Europe and the rest of the globe do not come to a consensus.
Around $40 million of crypto assets, which were detected to be transferred to crypto asset exchanges in the country and abroad, were seized and the detention, search and seizure proceedings for the suspects against whom detention warrants have been issued continue.