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The Turkish Ministry of Interior, together with the Cyber Crimes Combat Department, has conducted a series of operations across several provinces targeting illegal betting and financial crimes in the country.
The operations were said to have revealed the extent of illicit activities tied to unauthorized data exploitation, fraud, and online gambling. It was tagged “SIBERAĞ-13” and had been in the works for four months.
According to an X post by Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, 27 people were caught during the raids, including social media influencers with high follower counts. These influencers are accused of promoting illegal gambling sites on their accounts. Some of the notable names include Zeynep Buse Korkmaz, who boasts over 1.3 million followers on Instagram, and Okan Serbes, with 1.2 million.
Yerlikaya, commenting on the raids, posted, “As a result of the “SİBERAĞ-13” operations held in İstanbul, İzmir, Gaziantep, Adana, Mersin, Ağrı, Antalya, Batman, Çorum, Diyarbakır, Erzurum, Eskişehir, Iğdır, Isparta, Sakarya and Şırnak, a large number of digital materials were seized. 27 suspects were caught.”
“We want our dear nation to know that; In Cyber Homeland, our virtual patrols are on duty 24/7 to combat crime and criminals. I congratulate our Chief Public Prosecutor’s Offices, who coordinated the operations and our Heroic Police Officers who carried out the operations.”
Deeper Operations Unveil Fraud and Cybercrimes
The operations uncovered way more than illegal gambling, with a wide variety of fraudulent schemes discovered. In Ankara, Hataym, and Şanlıurfa, raids uncovered illegal betting networks that processed payments of up to 3.6 billion Turkish lira($104 million), as well as fake crypto apps that illegally collected personal data from users.
Operations in Istanbul also led to the arrest of eight suspects who operated a fraudulent cryptocurrency scheme, while Adana raids uncovered illegal rental scams where suspects were found advertising fake property listings online.
A further eight suspects were apprehended in Gaziantep, Tekirdağ, and Burdur for their involvement in the dissemination of obscene materials featuring adults and minors. According to the CCCD, reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and open-source intelligence were vital in identifying the suspects.
The Combat Department also seized digital devices, large amounts of Turkish lira and foreign currency, and unlicensed firearms during the raids.
Turkey’s Battle Against Illegal Gambling
Turkey has maintained its strong stance anti-gambling stance for decades, with all forms of gambling in the country banned since 1998. The state-run Milli Piyango, which offers virtual games and lotteries, is the only gaming site allowed to operate in the country legally.
However, these harsh restrictions haven’t stopped offshore sites from operating in the country, leading to some high-profile crackdowns in recent times. In March this year, an Iranian citizen was arrested for his involvement in underground gambling networks, which led to over $200,000 and several companies being confiscated.
There was also the June 2024 operation, which unveiled a massive gambling syndicate linked to organized crime and money laundering. This investigation was particularly noteworthy following the infamous case of Halil Falyali, a Turkish Cypriot businessman whose alleged involvement with illegal gambling platforms captured national attention. Falyali was assassinated in 2022 while still facing legal issues.
Source: Next.io
